Mireille Sine, MPH
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Mireille Sine, MPH
Returning to Sport After Autoimmune Diagnosis
Mireille is lifelong athlete. Growing up, she played basketball and volleyball but her favorite sport was always dancing. Her running journey however started in high school through the track & field team and it wasn't until college that she began to explore distance running.
As an Exercise Science major, some of her course work consisted of sports psychology, biomechanics, health education, exercise physiology, and more. It was with this knowledge that she began training and running at the school gym, eventually going on to run her first two 5k races in college. Unfortunately, she suffered a setback in her health and fitness goals when she was diagnosed with Lupus, an autoimmune condition. She used this major event to gain control of her life and health while showing others that a diagnosis doesn’t have to stop you from achieving your goals.
In her decade’s long career, she's completed 12 marathons as well as three 50ks (and counting). She’s run the famous Speed Project unsanctioned relay from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and was the first Black woman to run from Boston to NYC (200 miles in 11 days). She loves working with curious and committed athletes who are not just looking for a training plan, but for community, self reflection, and a way to discover all that running can bring into their lives. These athletes can be beginner/intermediate road runners, autoimmune athletes, or beginner trail athletes.
Mireille has her B.S. in Exercise Science and a Masters in Public Health. She is also 80/20 Endurance Certified, USATF Level 1 certified, and a Coaches of Color Apprentice Alumni.
Coaching Services
If you’re looking for a coach to help you discover all that running can bring, let's work together! Here at ‘Coached By Mireille’, it’s more than just a training plan. I am committed to my athlete’s enjoyment through consistent communication and elevation through education.
The primary form of care I provide is run coaching for endurance events. I am committed to my athlete’s enjoyment through consistent communication and elevation through education.
When I say I coach with a balanced approach to running and life, I mean that! You’ve got plenty of things to attend to and training is all about figuring out the puzzle pieces. Running should fit into and add to your life. In order to do that, I’m proud to say that I help athletes:
*Dream - figure out where you want to go with running (the sky is the limit!)
*Train - using science backed approaches and training philosophies
*Achieve - by empowering, encouraging, and skillfully guiding athletes to the start (and finish) line
I would like prospective clients/customers to know I am a lifelong athlete who has had a wide range of athletic experiences, from feeling like I'm at the top of my game to struggling to run without pain. I say this to paint a picture of my ideal athlete: someone who knows what it's like to try, to succeed, and to fail. Someone who looks at sports and goals as an adventure and not a linear path.
Working with me is a worthwhile experience because I try to bring the best out of everyone I work with while coaching the whole human.
Fees:
I offer tiered approaches to coaching so there is something for everyone.
“It’s easy to make everything feel like a workout or exercise with a goal, but we can’t lose sight of the beautiful places we get to do this in. Notice the flowers, bushes, and different types of trees. The clouds, the rocks, and everything that came together to make this path.”
Can you share a moment from an adventure that pushed your limits?
Running from Boston to NYC was the hardest expedition I have been on to date. The trail systems we traversed were more advanced than what I had been used to running at home. And since I was going through a Lupus flare, I wasn't running at my best overall. After running for five days straight covering distances from half marathon to 50k, I had to take a day off as I'd developed a slight cold. The expedition exposed my weaknesses on the trails and the mental battles I go through when things get really rough. One one hand, I was surprised that I could run for so long and I'm happy that the experienced taught me how much I could handle. On the other hand, it was one of the toughest experiences of my life!
Do you have a bucket list of adventures? If so, what's at the top?
I would love to visit more national parks, as well as cities all over the world.
At the top of the list: it'd be great to run a marathon on every continent!
How do you prepare mentally and physically for your adventures?
Training is a very important component to being mentally and physically prepared for an adventure and if I'm being honest, training is my favorite part! Making the different puzzle pieces of life fit in a way that allows you to see the progress you’re making without completely overturning your life. I pick appropriate training metrics for the goal I want to hit to be physically prepared. To be mentally prepared, I'll do anything from practicing mantras, reading inspirational books, and sharing my journey with others.
How do you incorporate mindfulness or reflection into your adventures?
As simple as it sounds, I incorporate mindfulness into my adventures by looking around. While running, we're always looking a few feet ahead to anticipate our steps. But doing a quick sweep to the left or right really opens up the trail for you. I'll even stop from time to time to just take everything in. It's easy to make everything feel like a workout or exercise with a goal, but we can't lose sight of the beautiful places we get to do this in. Notice the flowers, bushes, and different types of trees. The clouds, the rocks, and everything that came together to make this path.
Can you share a memorable encounter with wildlife during one of your adventures?
Running into coyotes in one of our parks on a casual trail run is always interesting. I'm fascinated by how they are able to thrive in a predominantly urban setting, but also respecting enough to give them their space before I pass through. I've run into a coyote that had caught a meal and promptly turned around to continue my run in another direction. I've also run into a coyote with a limp and thought about it for the rest of my run, hoping it was okay.
Have you ever experienced a sense of awe or wonder during an adventure? If so, can you describe it?
The first time I completed a 50k, I cried when I hit the marathon distance (26.2) miles. Up until that moment, a marathon had been the furthest I’d run, but crossing that threshold made me so grateful for what my body was able to do. I was running through the desert with hardly a soul in sight, so I was really able to soak it in. Looking out at the sprawling landscape made it feel more magical.
What sparked your love for adventure?
I grew up using the public transit system and seeing the world through the windows of the city bus always felt so exciting to me. When I started running, public transit turned to running which unlocked a new level of independence and exploration. Knowing that my own two feet could take me anywhere I wanted to go was empowering and I've been working hard (while having fun) at refining this craft for over a decade. I love learning cities and trails using my feet and eyes, taking mental notes of the world around me. I love how encouraging strangers can be when you pass them with a "good morning" and how different the city looks from above. Adventure is one of the greatest joys of life.
What motivates you to keep exploring and seeking new adventures?
There's always a new experience to be had, even if you are covering the same distance. I've learned that completing one adventure makes me even more curious to see what's out there because if I could experience so much in this short length of time, how much more can I squeeze in on the next adventure?
What do you think the childhood version of you would think of your current adventurous nature? What would you go back and tell that version of you?
The childhood version of me would not believe that I run as much as I do! I think she would find it freeing and fun, though. I would tell that version of me to keep listening to that intuition. There are many lessons in front of her. but each one was a stepping stone.
What aspect of your current adventurous nature do you think your future self will be grateful to have learned?
That progress isn't linear and you do yourself a disservice if you try to compare your adventures to others. Focus on your own journey!
