About

Back of the Pack was created to fill the space between "up before dawn, setting PRs, no slowing down" and "lazily rolling out of bed at noon and slowly meandering for half a mile before it's acceptable to go drinking” (direct quote from one of our members).

We’re here to pursue type I and II fun, push our limits, and find our possible. We might never see the podium, but we’ll have the most fun along the way. We do hard things — at our own pace.

Laura, Chief Possibility Officer

Hi, friend! I’m Laura! I wear a lot of hats (literally and figuratively).

I’m an ER nurse in a ski town, trail running coach, wilderness medicine instructor, and founder of the Back of the Pack. Collectively, all this means is that I help people feel safe, confident, and capable in their outdoor pursuits (and… put them back together when things don’t go so well). *Insert cringe emoji*

I grew up in the rural suburbs of Denver, and after spending a couple post-grad summers working as a wrangler on a Montana ranch, I moved to Portland, Oregon, to explore city living for a bit. After 13 years in the PNW — including Portland, Bend, and Port Angeles, Washington — I moved back to Colorado. This time, to the southwestern corner of the state, happily nestled between the mountains and desert.

I do all the things. I’m a multi-faceted outdoor adventurer. Skiing was my first love and still remains, but these days, trail running is my main thing. I also love mountain biking and dabble in paddling and pack-rafting. Heights aren’t for me, so climbing is out, although I have enjoyed ice climbing and did a Via Ferrata once (ask me about my panic attack). I’m a huge fan of road trips, exploring small towns, and saying “yes!” to anything once.

I’m a firm believer that we can all do hard things — at our own pace. You don’t have to be the fastest or most knowledgable to get out there and have fun. You can try new things at any age and any stage. You might just need a little help getting started, and that’s where Back of the Pack comes in!

Back of the Pack provides coaching and connection opportunities for beginner and back-of-the-pack trail runners. We believe that every story deserves to be told, and every athlete deserves support. Through our 1:1 coaching, templated running programs, signature beginner’s running course, monthly webinars, and long-weekend retreats, we’re here to help you find what’s possible, and to feel safe, confident, and capable in your trail running pursuits.