Meet the Team
Lauren Jones 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 Peoples is a Denver-based outdoor enthusiast and guide, runner, writer, and mindfulness meditation teacher. As a UESCA-certified trail running coach for L2S (and head coach of our beginner course), she shares her passion for outdoor engagement, fitness, and inspiring new narratives of adventure. As a leader in Colorado’s BIPOC outdoor community, Kriste offers experiential trainings that address increasing the representation of people of color in nature. Her conference presentations include NOLs Risk Management, PGM One, Outdoor Retailer, REI, Summit Sisters, and more. She has served on the board of Running Start nonprofit, an organization dedicated to helping women overcome obstacles to fitness and is a proud member of the American Trail Running Association board. As a founding member of the Trailblazers program at Women's Wilderness, where she also serves as the Executive Director, she creates nature-based events that cultivate a greater sense of agency, community, and engagement in nature among women of color. When she’s not out adventuring along the trails of Colorado’s Front Range, Kriste is likely planning her next adventure over carbs in a local eatery. Her writing has been published in Trail Runner Magazine, Outdoor Research, Altra Running’s Run Better blog, Outside Magazine, Elevations Outdoors, and others. She has been a featured guest on podcasts and virtual events that include Self Magazine’s Checking In, Run This World by Nicole DeBoom, The Shift Network’s Resilience Summit, The Nature Summit, Running for Real with Tina Muir, and more. Kriste is a proud Altra athlete and Ultimate Direction ambassador.
Meet Susan Yasuhara!
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.
Tonya Fuller 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 Chapman 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!
Meet Rachel Tofflemoyer!
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.
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!
Meet Jen Paulus!
Jen 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 Beginner MTB Course with Coach Leah and found a new way to enjoy time outside 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. 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 with her partner, Cammie, her partner's 2 sons, Lucy the Mountain Chihuahua, and friends who have similar passions. Jen believes representation matters and is a strong advocate for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ folx, and women in outdoor spaces. As a Trailblazer, you can find her sweeping the group, taking pics, helping with a trailside repair, or lamenting the lack of good NY style pizza in Colorado.
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.
Teresa Kloser is an Iowa native who has been living the active Colorado lifestyle – skiing, snowboarding, hiking, trail running, cycling, and camping – since moving to Colorado after college. In 2010, she did her first road bike vacation in France, which led to cycling trips in Cuba, Italy, Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia. While road biking has allowed her to see the world from two wheels, mountain biking is her true passion. The challenge of mountain biking rugged terrain combined with the beauty of the outdoors make mountain biking an exhilarating adventure. In 2020, she enrolled in the L2S Beginner Mountain Bike course to improve her skills. It was a game-changer for her, elevating her technique and providing the confidence to tackle nearly any terrain. She is now sharing the L2S experience and joy of mountain biking with other women as a Trailblazer for L2S.
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 Davis 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 Burns 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.
Meet Jen Kates! 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.
Lindsay LaForce, 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.
