Big River Feature Interview: Adam Prahlow

Lutheran North sophomore Adam Prahlow has been a runner his whole life and all that training is paying off in 2007. He has already notched a big win at the Hancock Invitational in the Class 1-2 Race and a runner-up finish at the competitive Border Wars Meet in Edwardsville, IL. Big River caught up with Adam after that victory at Hancock to talk about his season, his goals and his family of runners. The following article can also be read at www.stlscoop.com and found in the October issue, North County Edition, of St. Louis Scoop Magazine.

---St. Louis is a town full of family-owned businesses. Brothers work together growing up while mom and dad run the show. Maybe it is a printing business or a construction company or even a nice little Italian restaurant. For the Prahlow family, the business is running and they serve up a lot of it.

Adam Prahlow, a sophomore at Lutheran North High School, is the baby of the family but he is turning into its brightest distance running star. His oldest brother Andrew, now in college, ran for the Crusaders and his brother Aaron is a senior leader on this year's team. They are the sons of a proud dad, Jim Prahlow, who just happens to be the coach at Lutheran North. ....photo by Jim Baer

It is indeed a family affair and it has been that way since the boys were young. It was then that they began running for the St. Louis Blazers Track Club for coaches Blair Porter and Skip MacDowell. Adam even started tagging along at practice as a five-year-old.

Jim Prahlow said it is really his wife Linda who keeps everything going.

“Linda's been the big supporter, doing all the laundry and all those sorts of things,” Prahlow said. “All I do is help out with the workouts.”

Whatever they're doing it is working for Adam. The youngest Prahlow notched his first ever high school cross country win when he crossed the line first in the Class One-Two race at the Hancock Invitational on September 22. To be fair to him he did not just win, he won by 25 seconds and he did it at Hancock which happens to be one of Missouri's premiere meets.

Prahlow said having his dad as his coach has its perks.

“It's pretty fun actually,” Prahlow said. “Since he's also a teacher at the school there will be sometimes when he'll ask me during the day where I want to run that afternoon.”

Of course, asking his son where to run might spell trouble for the rest of the team. Ever since last year's State Meet where he finished 59th , Prahlow has taken a liking to finding the hilliest courses possible to work on his strength.

Jim Prahlow said that is something that has helped his whole team this year as well as Adam.

“We've tried to run a lot of hills this year to get ready,” Prahlow said. “[Adam] looks forward to adding hills to his runs wherever he can.”

There are two other things that have helped Prahlow run faster this fall. The four inches and twenty pounds that nature added to his frame since last year have meant a big difference in competing against older, stronger runners.

Prahlow said he can tell the difference in his races.

“I think the big thing I've noticed is that I can really push harder in the middle of the race where I used to slow down,” Prahlow said.

Of course it wasn't just the growth spurt that has turned Prahlow into a possible All-State runner this fall. It must undoubtedly have had a lot to do with good old-fashioned hard work and the 750 miles he ran over the summer.

Jim Prahlow praised his son's work ethic but also the fact that he is a student of the sport and knows how to train smart not just hard.

“I think he learned early on that you don't have to race every time out,” Prahlow said. “Now he looks at a week without a race as a chance to progress in his training.”

If his training progresses as he would like it to this season Prahlow should have a great shot at achieving one of his main goals this year which is to finish in the top 25 at the State Meet. His other main goal is to help his team qualify as well. They were ninth at State a year ago. Achieving that goal would also mean he would get to run at State with his brother Aaron.

Prahlow said being on the team with his brother has been a great experience.

“It's pretty fun because it's a team thing,” Prahlow said. “He's not only my brother but he's also a leader on the team.”

Their dad agreed.

“They get along very well at practice,” Prahlow said. “When it's about running it is all business and they're very supportive of each other.”

Jim Prahlow has been coaching at Lutheran North since 1993 so he has seen many runners come through his doors and his knowledge of the sport runs deep. He takes every opportunity to take in new ideas about training and is quick to point out all that he has learned from the various summer camps his team have gone to over the years. Like father, like son as Prahlow said the camps have helped Adam as well.

“He has the patience and he has the big picture perspective that you need to succeed as a distance runner,” Prahlow said. “If you keep working hard over time things are going to pay off.”

Working hard over time should not be a problem for Adam Prahlow. After all, he has been running since he was five years old. Prahlow said running will always be a part of his life.

“I don't know what I'd do without it,” Prahlow said.

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