“I’ve found a new love for running over the past 2 years, and Michelle has helped me maintain that new love ”

“This year I was preparing for my second marathon, and just like with my first, Soleful helped me prepare. Michelle Pais offers expert tips and 1 on 1 counseling whenever you hit a bump in the road during your training. I always think I’m asking too many questions, but she never wavers! She always responds quickly, concisely, and happy to do so.

I’ve found a new love for running over the past 2 years, and Michelle has helped me maintain that new love. She has shown me that slow and steady progression works. That 6 month-long plans (or more) are possible and manageable. That running a marathon isn’t a distant dream, but one that is very obtainable!

I am extremely thankful for Soleful running and look forward to working with Michelle in the future. She’s a blessing!”

— Kyle Dargis

“It is both art and science and Michelle has mastered the craft.”

“If you’re serious about running a new distance, increasing your speed, or tired of being injured, you need Michelle. Her thoughtfulness, energetic spirit and experience were instrumental in guiding me through my first marathon. Marathon training requires planning and perseverance that is difficult to navigate alone. Michelle tailored my training program to my fitness level, injury history and personality. It is both art and science and Michelle has mastered the craft. No matter your fitness level or the distance you want to travel, Michelle will be there every step of the way.”

— Nick Sicina

“Thanks to her guidance and support I have accomplished goals that have pushed me to want to do more. I quite literally could not have done it without her!”

“Being a runner involves more than just ‘the race’. It requires a person to pull from both physical and mental reserves, and in order to become better, you've got to constantly be learning. Michelle Pais and her Soleful Running and Coaching has helped me to learn about myself as a runner, about my strengths and weaknesses, and about strategies for improving myself. Over the last few months Michelle has urged me to become a better runner as I prepared for my 1st and 2nd marathons. Thanks to her guidance and support I have accomplished goals that have pushed me to want to do more. I quite literally could not have done it without her!”

— Nina Anderson

“Working with Soleful Running was the best decision. Every step of the way came with incredible knowledge, support, positivity, and joy.”

“I've been running for over a decade yet something was missing. Too often it felt like a chore, getting going was hard, the family needed me, it wasn't the right time, everything else took priority. I was struggling to find the joy, couldn't call myself a runner, and considering moving on from this portion of my life to find something else. Luckily I found Michelle first.

Then my family of 4 ran the Soleful 5K Through the Vines in April. Michelle greeted everyone so cheerfully and with the most contagious smile, it was impossible not to have a good time! We found ourselves back for the next 5K on a hot, sunny July day. I shared with Michelle that day my desire but also reservations of signing up for my 3rd marathon in the fall and asked if she had the availability to take me as a client. With her confident, "you can absolutely do it", I happily became a Soleful athlete.

Michelle's coaching was phenomenal. She knew just what I needed and put together the perfect running plan. The mileage and efforts were spot on, enough to increase my fitness but not so much that I was overwhelmed or risking injury. Michelle also took care to acknowledge what was going on in everyday life and adjusted the schedule if needed. I didn't take long to realize Michelle's positivity had spread. All those previous excuses vanished and I looked forward to every run regardless of the weather or distance. Michelle's communication was spot on with regular check-ins, helpful feedback and encouragement. There were days I doubted myself but she was right there to erase it.

Through Michelle's coaching, I ran my 3rd marathon with a 5-minute PR! The knowledge and support that came with my Soleful race plan got my body to such a great place that we extended our time together and planned for a another marathon. Again I looked forward to each run and went into my second race of the season the most calm and excited. Michelle cheered me through the finish line, only a minute and a half past my marathon PR, injury free and happier than ever.

Working with Soleful Running was the best decision. Every step of the way came with incredible knowledge, support, positivity, and joy. For the first time in my life, I proudly label myself as a runner thanks to Michelle.”

— Katie Midkiff

“I am grateful for your inspiration. Keep up the great work!”

“It is obvious that your passion for people living a healthy life is the focus of Soleful. To be clear, your work has had a direct influence on me! I like to stay in touch with positive people. Knowing your passion for people, the photos of nature and of running events on your website, coupled with a positive people person who likes to run marathons along with my kids getting into track, these things have converted me from someone who did not like to run or workout. I am grateful for your inspiration. Keep up the great work!”

— Chris T.

“I want to give a gigantic thank you and high five to Coach Michelle Pais”

“On behalf of myself personally, and the faculty, students and broader school community, I want to give a gigantic thank you and high five to Coach Michelle Pais, who served as not only our continuing Cross Country coach this year, but also took on a stint as the SEES Certificate Coordinator and the teacher and leader of the Social Entrepreneurship and SEES Capstone courses.

You all probably know that the SEES program poses a publicity challenge because it is such an unusual concept, to blend together business enterprise that serves the public good, with a specific focus on issues of environmental sustainability. Well, Michelle confirmed our instincts that she is the perfect person for this job! She is a successful business owner herself, buys in totally to the values behind the environmental side of the concept, and she has the goodwill and communication skills to easily get local business owners and environmental groups on board as partners to work with our students on robust problem-solving challenges well-suited to the needs of the program and their stage of learning and development of their teamwork and project management skills.

Most of all, I want to thank Michelle for keeping me inspired and energized with her inimitable and indefatigable positivity. She puts culture over convenience, and reaps the benefits of the extra time she takes to talk to her students and runners on a one-on-one and personal level, making literally everyone in her orbit feel seen and valued, and contributing to that elusive sense of ‘belonging’ that we prize so much for our learning community.

Michelle thrives by lifting others up, and cannot help herself from looking out for those in need, like myself when I was sick for like six weeks straight and Michelle would not rest until she was assured that I was getting my own rest and protecting my own health.

I, and I think it’s fair to say we all, are better off having had you be a part of our faculty, however briefly, and the lessons I have learned from you about being an effective teacher, coach, networker, community servant and all-around good-natured person, will stick with me for the long run, pun intended. Thank you, Michelle!”

— Dr. Nate Zuckerman, Highland School

“She is a one-of-a-kind person and a breath of fresh air to be around”

“I turned to running as a way to manage the unexpected grief of losing my father. I never enjoyed running, ever! However; during this difficult time, I leaned into it and decided to run a half marathon. In spring 2023, while looking for a running coach I learned about Soleful Running. My goal was to find a person who could teach me “how” to run correctly, give me a training program and help me with the unexpected. Michelle and I clicked instantly. She is extremely kind, reliable, honest, and genuine. She is a one-of-a-kind person and a breath of fresh air to be around.

While working together she guided me through an individualized race plan utilizing her extensive knowledge of running. We discussed things like stretching, running mechanics, ways to fuel runs, race day details, different ways to keep running fun and more. We spoke weekly about my progress. She was flexible with my chaotic schedule (three children 6 years old and under.) When needed she tapped into her network/resources to help me get a physical therapist and to help with some race day glitches (no bib/no parking plan) . She supported me through illness/injuries and adjusted my running schedule as needed. She is flexible, proactive, and a problem solver that uses both a micro and macro approach. Michelle is connected to the community. She is a good listener and remembered many details regarding my running journey which I appreciated.

In the end, I finished the half marathon. It’s one of my greatest achievements!! Michelle helped me see my potential and guided me to a confident mindset both during the runs (even the really hard ones!) and afterwards. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to work with her. She is an excellent asset to our community. She is also a new friend to me. If you are looking for a running coach that will guide you to your full potential, be honest with you, and see you through the unexpected Michelle will do all that and so much more. Thank you Michelle for being my guiding light through my running journey.”

— Kimberly S.

“Michelle has been a blessing!!”

“I signed up for a half marathon with only a few months of running under my belt and I shortly realized I needed some guidance and I reached out to Michelle.

She quickly understood my needs and created an individualized plan that provided the tools to make me a stronger runner and helped me build my skills at a perfect pace.

Her ability to communicate and break down the process for me provided the confidence I needed to go out and train and compete at a level I only dreamed of and she had me exceeding my own expectations.

Along my journey, she provided unwavering support of encouragement, knowledge, friendship, and kindness and was by my side the entire way.

Working with Michelle feels like taking the guesswork out of training: my job was to trust the process and show up and do the work. Highly recommended!”

— Carla Valentino

“Zero miles to a half marathon … Grateful”

“Thank you Michelle Pais and all at Soleful, what an amazing coach and group. I went from zero miles to a half marathon in 10 weeks with their guidance. Grateful.”

— Dominic Lewinsohn

“Extremely knowledgeable, dedicated, compassionate, patient, passionate and extremely supportive”

“After completing a 10K in 2022 under the coaching and guidance of Michelle and Soleful Running my confidence was boosted. It was boosted so much that I was on a mission to participate in the NYC Marathon in 2023.

I was fortunate to be accepted to participate in the NYC Marathon via a local charity and the decision to return to Soleful and work with Michelle was again one of the easiest. As I have learned from my past experience with Michelle every training plan is customized to the runner and their personal/professional life.

Michelle developed a new running plan tailored specifically to me. This plan was built around my past experience and capabilities, while fitting into my schedule. During training Michelle once again proved to be extremely knowledgeable, dedicated, compassionate, patient, passionate and extremely supportive.

Michelle again has proven to be an amazing coach and friend. I highly recommend Michelle and Soleful to every runner or anyone looking to keep active. Under the training of Soleful I went from training for a 10K to now a marathon runner. 26.2 is a number that Michelle got me to. Thank you for getting me across that finish line. Until our next run!”

— Keith Ramdeen

“Growth is stunning”

“We (are) ecstatic that you are working with (him). His growth is so stunning. Thank you! I appreciate the work that has been put in.”

— Parent of one of Soleful’s Youth Athletes

“In April of 2022, I decided to run a marathon. Why? I wanted to challenge myself in an aspect of physical fitness I never had before — muscular endurance.”

“I began my journey by gathering tips and advice from anyone I knew who had done marathons or events like them before (10Ks, Triathlons, etc.). However, I just became a rookie with a lot of good advice. I did not know how to utilize it all for the best training possible.

Luckily, a family friend of mine referred me to Michelle Pais. After a quick phone call, Mrs. Pais committed to helping me reach my goal to complete the 2022 Marine Corps Marathon.

She immediately asked for every aspect of my training, my preferences for workouts, and my level of experience. Therefore, she could create the most personalized workout regimen for me.

She also consistently checked in and reviewed day by day with all of my workouts to keep me on track, remind me to stretch, recover properly, etc. Her consistency in communication is a strong quality of her coaching style, as I never felt I had to guess or assume anything about my training.

It is hard to adequately express how much she helped me with any concerns I had for my marathon. However, here are a few I felt made Mrs. Pais really stand out as a coach who genuinely cared for my success because she went beyond making workout plans.

She helped me with info on how to fundraise for The Rett Syndrome Foundation (which I was able to do). She relayed her experiences with the Marine Corps Marathon to give me expectancies of the day, like where to go, how the bib process worked, and how to deal with running amongst thousands of people (as I trained alone).

Mrs. Pais and her Soleful Running program tremendously helped me succeed in healthy productive training that allowed me to accomplish a goal I never thought possible for myself: completing a marathon! Also, she has inspired me to want to train for another marathon, and I am more than excited for the months ahead.”

— Kyle Dargis

“Having known Michelle for 10+ years, the sheer fact that Michelle has established Soleful alone, should and will be reassuring to any runner, potential runner, or individual looking to embark on their fitness and wellbeing journey.

Michelle’s level of passion, sincerity and connection to running is unmatched and when I heard the news that she had taken the brave step to build her own mission-aligned business, I felt truly happy.

We might think of running as a solo sport, but for anyone looking to build a community, connection, and of course technical and physical capability, you have come to the right place.

Given Michelle’s kind and compassionate personality and her ability to ‘meet people where they are at’, means that anyone partnering with Soleful would feel included and like they belong in Michelle’s community.

Having been through a traumatic-sports related injury herself Michelle knows first hand how fragile ones health and well-being can be, and this I know will strengthen her commitment to the health and well-being of Soleful’s community.

It is a testament to Michelle’s passion and inclusiveness that I feel throughout our entire friendship, I’ve been connected to this vision coming to life through our time running together, whether it be the NYC or Virginia (the one that went over that long bridge where we met your fam at the finish!) half marathons, or jogging along the River Thames in London or along South Beach in Miami.  On so many occasions I’ve been fortunate to feel calm and connected running alongside Michelle, sharing stories and experiencing her passion for running first hand.

I would hand on heart recommend Michelle for anyone looking to embark on or further their fitness journey.  If you are looking for trust, community, compassion and someone who’ll truly have your back, look no further.”

— Owen Raine

“I have know Michelle for approximately 5 years - during that time I was fortunate enough to know her as an employer, a friend and as of recently, a coach.

Running has always been an interest of mine but also a challenge. After finally deciding to sign up to a 10K my anxiety kicked in a little and I reached out for help. Choosing Michelle as a coach was the easiest decision as she is extremely knowledgeable, passionate, supportive, patient, and trusting.  

Michelle helped develop a plan for me to go from couch to 10K in the matter of a month. With her plan, wealth of knowledge and continuous follow ups, Michelle successfully helped me through one of the toughest races I have ever run. 

I would highly recommended Michelle to anyone at any level of running. She is a phenomenal coach and most importantly she reminds you to have fun while running. Michelle has taken her passion and turned it into a work of art.”

— Keith Ramdeen

“I have known Michelle Perry Pais for over a decade and it is my pleasure to write her a reference for her role as CEO of Soleful Running. I can think of three stories that exemplify her greatness as a coach and leader.

The first was when I was at 220 pounds and forty-ish years old and had never run more than 10 miles. Michelle made me a weekly plan and ran a half marathon with me in DC, a 10-miler in Mexico and countless training runs in Virginia. After 10 weeks of preparation, I was able to complete the Ogden Utah (jolly hilly!) marathon. Her patience, encouragement and accountability helped me reach my goals and raise over $25,000 for a tumor patient.

The second example of her great leadership was a team building exercise for 12 executives at a rowing facility in the North East. What stood out to me was the trust she garnered amongst the whole group so that two non- swimmers were comfortable taking part in eights rowing. The smiles and can-do attitude she instilled in all that day will always remain with me.

The final story was in Charlottesville, Virginia. Michelle helped team build and develop over two days 12 car wash managers. She created a fantastic town scavenger hunt, taught them how to create a great growth mindset and lead a professional client-centric development classroom session. Over the following months and in some cases years, she followed up with the participants.

Michelle will collaborate on devising a personalized plan, communicate her knowledge and experience and then help you execute your objective. I could not recommend a better coach or mentor.”

— Dominic Lewinsohn

“Having been an on off runner through my twenties, I remember being in awe of Michelle when I first met her and realized how many marathons this woman has run!

I’m fortunate to have also completed races in NYC with her, and when I broke my ankle in a freak accident she was someone I turned to for words of encouragement, advice on progress when I was going through my physio.

Running isn’t just about the physical ability, but also takes a lot of mental conviction and Michelle is someone I know has spent so many years holding a genuine passion for running and being consistent.

I would highly recommend Michelle as an amazing human being to support you on your running journey.”

— Elizabeth Kayler

“A huge part of running lies in the ability to connect the mind and body. What makes Michelle a truly special coach/friend/colleague is the unwavering commitment to helping those around her achieve the very best for themselves.

Having experienced, what seemed like, a significant injury late in my twenties that could have put my best running days behind me, it was Michelle who was able to lift me back up and re-instill the love for running by simply encouraging me with each mile run, fast or slow. Her ability to listen and encourage those around her sets Michelle apart from the rest.

Having worked in a professional setting with Michelle I can attest to just how hard she works in the office but what I always found even more impressive was the time she put in outside of the office to meet her workout goals all while seemingly always putting everyone first.

To know/work/run with Michelle is an experience that I am truly grateful for. The success of any great organization is tied to its people and Soleful running separates itself with the person leading from the top.”

— John Frost

“I knew Michelle in middle and high school. She was always a distance runner and motivated for the kind of sports that took endurance and stick-to-it-iveness.

I follow her on Instagram now and used to see her post ‘130 miles this month’ and think ‘wow, I could never do that.’ As I consistently saw those posts and how she motivated herself to try more, I started to think that maybe I could start slowly and work up to it. Because of her example, I started with 50 miles in June of 2020 and added 10 every month. Her posts and quiet but intentional leadership led me to create goals during Covid with another friend (3 states away) and ultimately worked up to 100 miles that December.

I am someone who needs big goals. I need to think it’s unachievable to get up and move. Michelle dreams big and that’s so inspiring. I am now completing my first Olympic triathlon and a major reason it feels attainable is that she set lofty goals and went for them. I would highly recommend her company for anyone hoping to achieve what might seem impossible - especially in the running world. She is definitely the person to get you there.”

— Kate Merrihew