Michele Pettinger started running at a young age in the Midwest under the tutelage of her father, the high school cross country and track coach. She has a passion for carrying on the legacy of reaching young runners and helping them build a solid nutritional foundation that will empower them now and long into their future running careers. She holds a master's degree in communication studies and had a career as a technical writer before she fell in love with trail running while living in the Pacific Northwest, where she founded P3Running, a collective of coaches specializing in custom run and nutrition coaching.

Michele is an RRCA Level II Certified Running Coach, Certified Specialist in Fitness Nutrition, and Certified Functional Nutrition counselor. She is most at home on the trails, training for ultramarathon distances. Michele lives in Santa Cruz, California, with her husband, Joe. They have a grown daughter, Anika.