Meet the Team

Life’s 2 Short Fitness Coaches and Trailblazers are what make L2S amazing! Get to know our team and read through their inspiring stories and backgrounds. L2S celebrates our differences and loves that we come together to create and support an amazing outdoor women’s community!

  • Lauren grew up in Littleton, CO and has been running, biking and hiking the front range trails since a child! She has her degree in exercise science + sports performance, nutrition, plus certifications in run/MTB coaching, sports medicine, pilates and paddleboarding. Lauren has been working as a trainer, coach and mountain guide for 20 years. Lauren is the mother of 2 active little boys and is the founder of Life's 2 Short Fitness. She is passionate about introducing women to new sports and empowering them to overcome obstacles, build confidence and explore the outdoor world.

  • Kriste Kriste Peoples is an outdoor enthusiast who loves to share her love of trails, whether she's running, hiking, snowshoeing, or backpacking. She's an instructor for the Women's Wilderness Institute, our head beginner trail running coach, Wilderness First Responder and a leader for Outdoor Afro and Women's Wilderness Institute AND a proud coach for L2S Fitness--all of which means she can often be found pointing excitedly at park maps and cheering adventurous souls around the next turn.Having made an unofficial shift away from road running just few short years ago, she's still discovering the beauty of Colorado's numerous trails, and has yet to find an adventure she loves more than trail running.By day, she works at a New Age media company that shares in another of her passions: making the world a better, brighter place.

  • Tonya has been running for almost 30 years. She spends a lot of the time on the road, but found a love of trail running after moving to Colorado 7 years ago. Tonya has also been a triathlete for the past 10 years, competing in distances from sprint to Iron distance, and enjoys XC skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking as well. Recently, she became a certified UESCA run coach and loves working with people to improve form and speed in running. Tonya's "real" job is as a Physical Therapist, a wife, and mother to her 4 legged fur baby.

  • Megan is a Colorado Native, who grew up playing volleyball in Colorado Springs. She wasn't too outdoorsy until she moved away from Colorado and picked up running, hiking, and camping while going to school in Western NY and living in the Philly suburbs. She moved back to Colorado in 2016 and picked up mountain biking a few years later after visiting a friend in Vermont. She took the L2S Beginner Course in 2018 to give her a good foundation and hasn't looked back since.

    Her love of mountain biking got her through 2020 lockdowns and she traveled to Bentonville, Moab, and Sedona to check out new terrain. Traveling to new biking destinations continues to one of her favorite ways to spend vacation. In her work life, she is a Quality Engineering Manager in the medical space and leads a women's group at her company.

    In all aspects of life, she encourages girls and women to get involved in areas where they may be historically underrepresented (i.e. Engineering, mountain biking). Megan is looking forward to coaching her second season of mountain biking through L2S! Let’s Ride!

  • I was born and raised in San Francisco, CA and moved to Colorado 16 years ago. After moving to Colorado, I became a triathlon coach so I could help women achieve their goal to do their first triathlon (I can’t believe it’s been over 25 years since I did my first triathlon!), learn how to run or overcome their fear of the water. I especially enjoy helping the non-traditional athlete, such as those who may not have grown up doing sports, Athenas and older athletes.

    I am the owner of Karma Multisport, a women’s multisport team, where I provide group and private triathlon/swim coaching, training plans and bring people together for social and workout activities.

    Open water and swimming are special areas of interest for me, especially since experiencing a near drowning as a child and having to get over my fear of water for so many years. I finally learned how to swim in my 30s, and have since done several open water swims – Washington Bridge, Portland Bridge relay, Alcatraz, and soon the Long Bridge Swim in Idaho. My goal is to do one of the open water swim trips in the Galapagos and the Greek Cyclades. Overcoming a fear of water is challenging mentally, physically and emotionally but with the right mindset and focus tools, you can do it, too!

    I started mountain biking over 4 years ago and found it terrifying, challenging, and exciting to learn a new skill later in my athletic career. I look forward to helping newbies in the sport to build their confidence and master a new sport so they can explore what the trails of Colorado and surrounding states have to offer. When I’m not lifeguarding, volunteering at the Denver Zoo, traveling or working out, I’m planning my next adventure to see what new challenge I can conquer. I look forward to working with the L2S community of adventure seekers and helping you achieve your next goal.

  • Leah Coil is a Southern California Native, who grew up living near and playing on the beaches of LA & the OC (surfing/SUP’n, beach volleyball, road biking and rollerblading. She also was a ballet dancer and practiced a few forms of martial arts). She started mountain biking in 2008 and gave up road biking for good to play in the dirt. Shortly after that, she joined an all-women’s mountain bike group in So. OC (Trail Angels); where encouragement, instruction and friendships were made. Through that experience she developed a desire to share her passions of mountain biking and SUP’n and seeing women conquer their fears and self-limitations, building confidence and empowering them while enjoying the beauty of the outdoors and the shared strength of the women around them. In 2014, she had the opportunity to move to Colorado and has loved every moment exploring. Leah is looking forward to coaching both mountain biking and SUP through L2S! Let’s Ride!

  • I’m so excited to connect yoga to nature by bringing mindfulness and strong technique from the classroom to the outdoors! For years, I have found personal fulfillment through activities like running, biking, hiking, swimming, golfing and paddle boarding. Yoga, however, has created a connection between mind and body that has helped me appreciate whole-body wellness. I am passionate about bringing this same level of appreciation to every individual and work to make a practice that is inclusive for all levels and abilities.

    I began my yoga journey in 2017, completing my 200 hour RYT certification from Windsor Yoga Family in 2018. I have continued in growing my practice, especially with Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga, Yoga Fore Golf, and restorative yoga. I have done meditation workshops and I do both private and group events.

    My hope for every participant is that they have fun, enjoy a new experience, and open their mind to a new journey.

  • Alexandra Hanley is a Michigan native who relocated to Colorado in 2008. After several road half marathons and a few full marathons in this beautiful state, she started running trails with Lifes2Short and forever chose dirt over pavement. Since then, she's completed two 50ks and a few trail half marathons and is always looking for the next challenge while training with this incredible group of women. When there's snow on the ground you'll find her snowshoeing, boarding and trail running. Warmer months are reserved for hiking 14ers (25 peaks to date), camping, mountain biking, and of course, more trail running – anything active to balance out her other love in life...eating.

    Alexandra is also an active member of the community, spending her free time serving on the associate board for board Girls on the Run of the Rockies since 2016 and has been a big sister for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado since 2012.

  • Jen Paulus grew up in Northeastern Pennsylvania, but spent a good deal of her life in Columbus, Ohio following completion of graduate school at Ohio State. A lifelong love of the mountains brought her to Colorado in 2017.

    After years of road, trail and ultra running left her body more angry than happy, Jen enrolled in the Life’s 2 Short’s Women’s Beginner MTB Series with Coach Leah in Fall of 2020 and has been hooked ever since. With a love of learning and progression, Jen takes advantage of clinics, lessons and skills sessions in order to grow her confidence and technique. In Summer 2023, she completed BICP Level 1 Mountain Bike Coaching Certification Program and has been coaching at clinics with with L2S as much as she can.

    On the trails, she can be found “woo-hooing” on the downhills and using huge amounts of positive self talk (from her day job as a licensed mental health therapist) on the uphills. When not riding, she can be found snowboarding, hiking, backpacking and camping. She lives with her partner, Cammie, her partner, 2 teen sons, 2 cats and a cat-sized pup, Poppy. Jen believes representation matters and is a strong advocate for women, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ folx in outdoor spaces.

  • Laura Cardon fell in love with trail running after moving to Colorado in 2013. Since then, she hasn’t run particularly fast or far, but is most passionate about helping others discover the joy of trail running. She's a UESCA-certified run coach, works part-time at Runners Roost Golden, and creates beginner-friendly guides to the outdoors at OutdoorBeginner.com.

    Laura Cardon offers in-person and virtual coaching for new and beginner runners through her company Outdoor Beginner. Programs are open to all genders, sizes, abilities, and identities. These programs do not address weight loss or dieting. Coach Laura is a UESCA-certified running coach, works with beginner trail runners at Life's 2 Short Fitness, and works part-time at Runners Roost in Golden, Colorado.

  • Lisa is a native Texan who came to Denver in 2012. As a former college basketball player, she’s no stranger to sports, but didn’t discover a love for running until her mid-30s. She was a road runner for several years, completing two full marathons (New York City and Chicago) and many half marathons, 10k’s, and 5k’s, but after being introduced to the Colorado trails has forever been converted to a trail runner! You’ll find Lisa outdoors exploring our beautiful state trail running, hiking, camping, snowshoeing, snowboarding, and practicing yoga.

  • Susie enjoys a long day on the trails. She didn’t fall in love with running until “later” in life (40’s). But once it clicked, she was all in. With each new distance conquered, she felt a huge desire to tackle the next. Originally from hot and humid Louisiana, she moved to CO 5 years ago. What drew her here was the unlimited amount of paths and trails to adventure on. She is never hesitant to head out and discover new trails with her furbabies but having a group of like-minded ladies to go with is the best. She recently became a certified UESCA ultramarathon coach and looks forward to sharing what she knows with others. She is always looking to motivate others to push further into longer distances.

  • Amanda Jensen (she/her) is a "type II fun" enthusiast who moved to Colorado in 2012. After trail running on her own for more than a decade, she joined L2S trail running training club for mid-COVID motivation and found it in beautiful scenery and a wonderful community. Amanda is an environmental professional who especially loves natural history, all things water and gummi bears. In addition to trailblazing with L2S, Amanda is a Stand Up Paddling instructor (PSUPA) and a YTT 200 Hr yoga instructor. She has two feral kids and (by comparison) two moderately well behaved dogs.

  • Jen (she/her) has been riding bikes for over 25 years, but she's abandoned (most of) her lycra and started mountain biking again in 2015 to spend more time on dirt in the mountains.

    Jen is a certified mountain bike coach who is passionate about getting more women and folks on bikes while also making them feel stronger, confident, and more powerful both on and off the bike. She is a certified Master Health Coach and Personal Trainer who owns Shift Human Performance, a health and performance coaching company. She also hosts the Making Shift Happen podcast, where she talks about the intersection of health, mountain biking, strength training, and a variety of topics while dispelling myths along the way. Besides biking, she loves traveling and exploring new places with her partner and derpy rescue pup.

  • Christine moved to Colorado more than 30 years ago and has always enjoyed being out in nature as well as being physically active. She started running, mountain biking, and paddle boarding later in life (50s) and believes that it doesn't matter how old you are, It's never too late to start a new adventure.

    Christine loves exploring new trails and is grateful to live in Colorado where we have so many beautiful trails and people of all ages who hike and run along these trails. Trail running has improved her overall fitness, but has also allowed her to see that she is capable of pushing her body to new limits. About 4 years ago, she did not consider herself a runner and could only run about a mile. Now she knows that she can run at high altitudes, long distances and in both cold and hot weather. Running with Life's 2 Short Fitness has helped her to train for half marathons (Leadville and Staunton State Park) and given her the courage, support and motivation to participate in extremely challenging events. In 2024 Christine gained the UESCA running coach certification and you will now find her coaching our Couch to Trails and Beginner trail running courses.

  • Originally from Montreal, Canada, Stephanie spent half her time in the Laurentian Mountain. Her family owned a home near a ski hill, a lake, and snowshoeing trails, providing the perfect backdrop for her outdoor adventures. With a passion for the outdoors, Stephanie dedicated eight years to teaching skiing and canoeing.

    In 1998 she met her future husband, already residing in Colorado. Stephanie was captivated by the superior skiing, hiking and camping opportunities that Colorado offered compared to Quebec and. In 2019, her journey into mountain biking began when her son developed a keen interest at a summer camp.

    Excited to explore this newfound passion alongside him, Stephanie acquired her first bike and promptly joined Lifes2Short to keep pace. Here, she discovered a vibrant community of like-minded, adventurous women, adding a new dimension to her outdoor pursuits.

    As her enthusiasm for cycling grew, Stephanie ventured into gravel riding and even took on the role of being one of the leaders in the gravel group and teaching spin classes.

  • Lindsay, PT, DPT, has been practicing physical therapy for 10 years with the majority of her career spent treating endurance athletes and specializing in video gait analysis and return to run programming; as well as, educating/ training other physical therapists in the treatment of endurance athletes and VGA. She is a Certified POSE Running Technique specialist and an ultra runner, Ironman and momma of two.