THERESA: My husband and I run together often, and that's fun, especially on weekends when we hit the trails in places like Valley Forge and the Wissahickon. But working out with your man can be a drag sometimes too. Dave can keep a faster pace than I do, so when I run with him it's a little harder for me to chat much, and for him, that sort of defeats the purpose of running together. He might as well keep his headphones on and pretend I'm back at home watching TV! One hot day last spring, we were finishing the loop on West River Drive and I was pretty beat and I said, "You know, I'm gonna slow down a little," and he pissed me off completely because he started walking when I said that. He seemed to be saying, "I'm not sure we can go any slower, dear, and still call it running..." I showed him, though. I got irritated enough that I suddenly felt energetic enough to sprint way ahead of him! Last Saturday morning we ran the loop with the Philly Runners, (our first time on one of that group's regular runs, which are pretty fun, by the way) and though we started off together, Dave ran on ahead after a few miles and hooked up with another woman in the club who could actually keep up with him and keep a lively conversation going too. So he's all eager to run with the club again tomorrow. Maybe I should have checked out the running club on my own and let Dave sleep late instead...

What about you, girlfriends? Do you ever work out with the men in your life? And how's that work out?

JENICE: Well, the other day I biked with a guy friend of mine from the Art Museum all the way to Valley Forge and back. I'd never ridden so far. Part of the reason that I did it and kept up with him was pure, unadulturated ego. I couldn't let him out do me. Sick, isn't it?

THERESA: No, I think it's cool to try to keep up with the guys. I mean, you weren't putting your health at risk or anything, right? If you'd felt like you were about to collapse, then you'd have the good sense to slow down, right? But just showing him-- and yourself-- what you could do--- I think that rocks.

APRIL: I actually love to work out alone, it's time for myself, time to think about my day or about work or just have a chance to get outside and clear my head. I also find that a lot of time, workouts are stress relievers for me, and it's easier to work out when you're not thinking about having to keep up with someone. I guess it all depends on my mood.

ELLEN: As odd as this sounds, I don't ever remember working out with a male buddy. I suppose when you are 5 feet 2, this isn't such a shock. My problem is that I think I am 5 feet 8. So when I walk with my 6 foot 3 husband, I am frustrated that I end up 10 paces behind. He's an avid golfer and we've had grand plans of golfing together in our old age but that hasn't happened either because I can't hit the ball one-third of his distance. I'd like to do something active with him. (No snickering, please.) I'd love ideas on what we could do on a level playing field. Bird calling?

THERESA: Maybe something neither of you has ever tried before. Racketball? Tennis? Dave and I took a few tennis lessons together many years ago and then played in a very casual mixed doubles tourney, where as I recall we advanced to the second round before being crushed. That was fun.

And of course, you can always take long walks together-- good exercise and you can hammer out interpersonal issues at the same time. Men are always up for that!

LAURIE: When I was married and much younger, my husband and I lifted weights together. Back then, there were very few women in weight-lifter gyms - not like today. So it was a lot of fun for me. I got to "spot" my hubby and his friends on their bench presses. I remember psyching out a few guys because I was doing arm work with heavier weights than they were!

Salsa dancing is a current fitness activity of mine, and that of course requires a partner. It's so great to get into the groove of a song - salsa songs tend to be 5 minutes long or more - and really move with someone. The exercise of it happens without you even noticing.

THERESA: Yeah, Ellen, maybe you and Tom ought to take up salsa dancing!

ELLEN: We've done dance classes. We haven't done salsa. How do you find these classes? Tom is one of those extraordinary guys, like our colleague in the photo department, Wayne Faircloth, who loves to dance. What a great idea! I also would love to do weight training with him. Perhaps I'll give him a club membership for Christmas. Another great idea!

LAURIE: Ellen, the Philly area has two fabulous salsa dance instructors - Barbara Capaldi, who has the Atrium dance studio in Pennsauken, N.J., and Sonya Saamova, whose La Luna dance studio is in Bensalem, Bucks County. Check the Web sites for info on classes and dance parties.

If you want to try other kinds of dance, like swing, jitterbug and West Coast Swing, check out the Philadelphia Swing Dance Society Web site. This group does monthly dances with live big-band music.