Lyndee Prazak is all about having fun with triathlon, but don’t let that fool you: this mom is a fierce competitor

I scanned the results and saw it: 50-54 Female, Lyndee Prazak, 1st. I shared the news and a combo of jumping, dancing and cheering ensued. My mom kicked off her 2010 triathlon season with an AG win at the Superseal Olympic Triathlon on April 11, also PR’ing on the course and beating second by 10 minutes.

Prazak is competitive. Having a father who’s one of the most accomplished racecar drivers in the world will make you that way. (No, don’t think Talladega Nights-style NASCAR, her dad is Dan Gurney… check the results from five, six decades ago.) Despite her drive to compete, she’s very humble and simply does triathlon for fun—just so happens she’s a top age-grouper for the 50-plus crowd.

Last season she podiumed four times out of the six races she did—everything from sprints, to Olympics to XTERRA Trail Runs. This year she’ll tackle her first half-Ironman at Vineman 70.3 in July. Deciding to tackle a half-Ironman is partially due to the “you-can-do-it” pressure imposed by her daughter (aka me), who will be racing Vineman at the same time.

“I don’t think I would have gotten into triathlon if it hadn’t been for Tawnee,” said Prazak. “I probably would have tried a mountain bike race and or surf contest for fun instead. Who knows, I still might do those things.”

But after toeing the line at her first triathlon in 2007, the Imperial Beach Sprint, she was hooked; despite nasty conditions that day. “IB was an open ocean swim and the weather was not good—even lightening and thunder. I’ll never forget getting into the waves and thinking I was going to drown even though I’m a surfer and comfortable in waves,” she said. “By the time I was running, 3 miles felt like 30 miles and I was thinking, ‘Why the hell did I do this?!’”

That thought didn’t last long, and the first thing she wanted to do after that

“I totally look up to Tawnee for her abilities as an athlete and a coach,” said Prazak. “It’s fun to have her as my daughter and come to her for advice. But on the other hand, there’s no slacking. It’s clear she expects me to follow what she says to do. And she gives me the motivation to try things I probably wouldn’t have done on my own—like the Santiago bike time-trial race we did recently.”

In fact, triathlon in the Prazak household is a family affair. Mark—husband/dad—also plays a big role as sherpa and uber-supporter. As his girls head out for a swim, bike or run, he smiles with that “you’re-crazy-but-admirable” look and usually out the door next for a long run or gym session. And from up at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, daughter/sister Karlee cheers for the triathletes and always joins in the workout mayhem when in town. In fact, Karlee completed her first 10k in late 2009, and has definite potential as an endurance athlete. Prazak said having a supportive and active family undoubtedly contributes to her success and motivation in triathlon.

“My husband is my rock,” said Prazak. “If you don’t have your spouse on board, it’s tough. And I am so grateful when Karlee can make it to a race. It sure is great to have your family at the finish line. I think Mark will eventually do a triathlon so I can be his Sherpa. Hopefully Karlee, too.”

In the meantime, Prazak is now focused on Vineman training. “The biggest training week I’ve ever had up until now is 10 hours,” she said. “My average weeks include five to seven hours of training for the Olympic distance, and I’ll be stepping that up for 70.3 training. But as someone who is older, after two to three days of hard training I need two full days of recovery, whereas someone young may only need 24 hours. Also, joining a Masters swim group is one of the best additions I’ve made to my training.”

No doubt she’ll be well-prepared come July. She’s seen plenty of half-Ironman races, as Prazak also plays sherpa for me (and is pretty darn good at it). Being around the sport so much helps her to not feel as stressed when it comes to her own racing, which was a big issue, she said, as she reflects on 2009.

“Last year I got podiums, had a blast and learned a lot, but there was too much unnecessary stress. So my No. 1 goal for this year is managing that stress and learning how to deal with my personal expectations,” said Prazak. “I’m learning how to go out and have the best time I can while still being as competitive as I can be.”

Who knows—I could be flashing the “You’re No. 1” sign to Mom yet again come July 18.

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