Will Price finds new meaning in the sport of running

Tell us your running origin story

Running has just been something my family has done for as long as I can remember. My dad used to run a lot when I was growing up… nothing competitive, but it was just something he always did. Same with my mom. She would leave the house at ungodly hours to run with her friends every damn morning. While I never understood why, I appreciated their individual dedication to it. So I started running with my dad on the weekends a bit, until I thought I was too cool and thought girls liked skateboarders more, so obviously I had to switch to that.

Then, in high school, I ran one season of track out of sheer necessity. I carpooled to school with my older brother, and he had hours of baseball practice after class. And since skateboarding was outlawed on campus, and the school was in the middle of nowhere, I haphazardly joined track, finding a particular rhythm for the mile.

Off and on for the next, 20 years or so, I ran on the weekends, mainly, never really thinking it was anything more than an excuse to lose some weight, feel like I was in better shape than I was, and kill some time when I didn’t have anything else to do. Running was just something I “knew how to do,” so I did it whenever without ever thinking much of it.

Then, in February of 2020, my wife, daughter, and I moved to Portland from San Diego. There must be something they pump into the air in the Pacific Northwest because almost immediately, I started running more and more. It was a few days and a few miles here and there, until I realized that I was getting to know this new city on my feet, a mile at a time. Not long after, running became something I had to do daily, and something that made me feel… worthy. “Worthy” is maybe not the right word, but running gave me something more than any other workout (yoga, cycling, Crossfit, etc.) had ever given me.

In September of that same year, as I doubled down on running and wanted to see how much further I could go, I finally said goodbye to booze forever and committed to a greater goal: running the Portland Marathon—something that just months prior seemed like a major pipe dream.

2021 was the year of training harder than I’d ever trained before, but I did it all solo, outside of a run with a friend of mine here and there. I stayed motivated by following athletes on social, reaching out to a few for casual conversation and accidental kudos, stalking locals on Strava, and trying to beat my brother back in Denver on monthly miles. The marathon came and went, and I surprised even myself with my performance. It was in the post-marathon haze, in between slices of pizza, that I realized, “I think I’m a runner now.”

When was the moment you knew you were hooked?

Shortly after September 2020 is when I realized that running was the thing I wanted to do more than anything. Running  became more than something I did to get abs. Running consistently, as well as harder and longer kept me from drinking. If I drank, I couldn’t run. That’s what I told myself, and that’s what I tell myself still. My sobriety and my training run hand-in-hand.

Additionally, crossing the finish line of my first marathon, combined with those pre-race jitters and months of ongoing self-motivation and coaching to keep at it, made me feel invincible. Fucking bulletproof. And I want to capture that feeling as much as possible.

What’s your approach to training?

Short answer: I don’t know. Honestly. I have been pretty much solo in this for awhile, outside of the occasional runs with friends and semi-mind numbing instagram coaching tips..

Longer answer: When it comes to training my mind to just run, I try to stay humble but stay overly confident at the same time. It’s this push/pull of, “I deserve to be out there alongside any runner.” And also, “You’ve got a long way to go, kid.” That keeps my mind in a good space to go further.

For the physical aspect, my training has really been just, “Run fast and run long, as often as you feel like it. And when you don’t feel like it, do it anyway.” I admit it’s not the best approach, especially for a sustainable running career, but it worked for me for the last few years, save for a few minor injuries, and elements of it will continue to work for me in the years ahead.

I will say, though, that I am very excited to learn some new training techniques that will not only increase the life and longevity of my running, but also help to curb the ego knowing there is support from a community of like-minded and encouraging runner.

How did you find out about RCTC? What inspired you to join?

I actually mentioned how I found out about RCTC in a recent interview with Lauren Ross on Leggggs, but essentially, I got passed in the 2021 Portland Marathon by a guy wearing a RCTC tank. Since he was in like 10 of my pictures, I googled, “RCTC tank top Portland” and found the club. It made me feel better about being passed knowing he was part of what looked like a rad and serious club. Then, as any diligent person does, I scoured the site looking for more information before coming across the Partners Page. I was already looking for a chiropractor, and I thought, “If this Dr. Rachel Wysocki is what the team uses, she must be legit.” I booked an appointment, and we chatted a bit about the club during my sessions. It wasn’t until nearly a year later, in July-ish of 2022 that I finally got enough courage to apply. I still felt like I had some personal learnings and goals to accomplish before putting myself out there and join a club.

There were also a few interactions I had with Lauren and Ryan on Instagram and my blog that lead me to think, “I really dig these people. I want to join them.” Compound those with the Foodie Friday runs and meeting more of the crew in action, it all just sorta felt natural and not forced. So I put in my application and crossed my fingers.

Do you have any running mantras or approaches when you’re deep in the pain cave?

I start to thank my legs for everything they’ve done so far, and how much I ask of them on a daily basis. It’s usually, “You guys are doing great. That last mile/hill/segment was probably the worst, and it’s smooth sailing from here. You got this. You’re strong. And you’re built to go further. We’re in this together, so let’s keep going.”

For whatever reason, that mix of confidence, dissociation, motivational speech, and wild optimism has this “my legs have a mind of their own” effect that seems to get them to move on their own, regardless of how the rest of my body feels.

What’s one piece of training wisdom you want to share with others?

This question, to me, is tricky. Social media and similar platforms have made it so hard to determine what is good for us and not when it comes to how we run and train. Literally anyone and everyone will offer advice for the sake of likes, shares, or just to hear themselves talk. “You should slow down if you want to last,” or, “I have a coach that warns me not to do that…” etc, etc. When comments like these pop up on Strava feeds, it irks the shit out of me because of the sweeping generalization that we all run the same.

In that, I try to stick to the wisdom on, “Don’t wait for training wisdom to do anything. Just go, start to figure it out, and be open to when someone offers valuable advice.” The key here is “valuable” advice. Hard to tell the difference, sure, but there’s personalization and compassion that comes to light in “valuable” advice versus the generic, “You shouldn’t do that / SMASH THE LIKE BUTTON IF YOU AGREE.”

Tell us about leggggs!

The official mission of Leggggs is: We tell the stories, provide first-person insights, and aim to create authentic and long-lasting connections with the intent to help anyone feel less lonely through running.

Said simply, Leggggs started as a way for me to feel less alone. I parted ways with my job at the beginning of the Summer, and essentially cut off a LOT of the connection I had to the outside world. My company was based in CA, and the daily zooms I had with the team were really the only connection points I had to people outside of my immediate family. I am also pretty new to Portland, having moved here right before the pandemic in February of 2020, and I hadn't made a ton of IRL friends. I felt a bit stuck.

Being thrust into this new world of loneliness, I did what I knew how to do: Start a blog. I’ve been writing/blogging/creating various forms of content for the last 20 years or so, much of it focusing on interviewing people and trying to find those little points of truth that connect universally with a larger audience.

Now, I am doing it through running and trying to find more connection within this community. I started this blog for myself, but the feedback from the community, and those I’ve interviewed has shown me that these feelings of loneliness and a need for connection (whether one thought they needed it or not) are far more widespread. So while the project is still in an infancy stage, the hope is to grow it authentically and purposefully, and even start to put on events, sponsor races, work with charities and organizations, and continue to help anyone that may need it feel less lonely through running.

Where are you at with your running right now?

Even at 40, I am finally at a stage with my running where I know I need to take it seriously if I want this to be an actual “thing.” For years, like I mentioned, running was just something I could do, at least casually. Being able-bodied and in relatively good shape, I had the confidence to lace up some shoes and head out for a few miles. But there was never anything beyond that going through my head.

Now, there is so much more. After finishing that first marathon in a better time than I expected and since meeting more like-minded competitive runners (that have somewhat similar backgrounds to me), the desire to see how far I can take this is at an all-time high. Will I be an olympian? No. But will I continue to compete in races, set my own PRs, and even win one some day? I mean, crazier things have happened.

I am at the point where I want to continue to see my running advance, both physically and mentally.

Physically, I want to go faster, go further, and train smarter to avoid injury and increase stamina.

Mentally, I want to be okay with taking rest days, going slower when needed, and not feeling the pressure to compare myself to anyone else.

It’s as much about working on my own ego as it is my body.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I need to know what everyone’s favorite pizza place in Portland is.