Why "Push Through It" Is the Worst Advice for Autoimmune Athletes with Mireille Siné, MPH

In this episode, Dr. Erin Ayala sits down with Mireille Siné, MPH — a certified running coach, lupus endurance athlete, and advocate for athletes living with autoimmune and chronic conditions.Mireille has lived with lupus for 13 years and now coaches athletes who are navigating autoimmune disease, chronic illness, flares, fatigue, and identity shifts — while doing endurance sports.Together, Erin and Mireille discuss:Why autoimmune athletes carry a “double load”How training stress can interact with immune dysregulationHow to distinguish overtraining from a possible flareWhy “push through it” can be harmful adviceThe importance of symptom tracking and medical self-advocacyWhat coaches should ask athletes with autoimmune conditionsHow to build flexible training plansWhy performance is not just pace, PRs, and finish linesHow to stop chasing the athlete you used to be and build toward who you can still becomeMireille Siné is a USATF and 80/20 Endurance-certified run coach, 14-time marathoner, and ultramarathoner based in Los Angeles. She is the founder of Coached by Mireille LLC, a virtual coaching practice specializing in runners and endurance athletes managing autoimmune conditions and chronic illness. Mireille coaches with the philosophy "train with compassion" — building training plans that account for the full reality of her athletes' lives, not just their race goals. She has been featured in Runner's World and has spoken at the AIP Summit and Skadi Sports Psychology Athlete Summit. Living with lupus herself, Mireille brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work, helping athletes redefine what strength and performance can look like with a chronic illness diagnosis.Follow Mireille on InstagramJoin us at Feisty Fest - September 18-20th, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Sign up to Receive The Feisty Women's Performance Newsletter:https://feisty.co/newsletters/feisty-womens-performance/Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performanceVisit the Feisty website at https://feisty.co/ for info on all of our events and podcastsSupport our Partners:Use code PERFORMANCE for 20% off at http://cozyearth.comMomentous: Head to https://www.livemomentous.com/ and use promo code PERFORMANCE for up to 35% off your first orderWahoo: Learn more about Wahoo Fitness Products at: https://wahoofitness.pxf.io/0GAByRTifosi Optics: Use code FEISTY2026 for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/