“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

“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