Packing Fitness Fun in Newport

We usually spend multiple weekends in Newport, but this busy summer had us going during the week. When visiting the city by the sea, one thing I love to do is pack fitness into our days. So in addition to the traditional activities we've become accustomed to, we also tried some new ones.

Before heading out of town, I packed my bags with everything I would need for our fitness fun. My Athleta swimsuit did double duty at the beach (w/ JCrew cover-up) and kayaking (w/ Athleta shorts & Corey Vines racerback). My favorite Old Navy shorts and tank with my BR sweater kept me comfortable on the boat. Oiselle, Athleta, Nike and Mizuno completed my run outfits.

First we met some of my in-laws for an afternoon of sailing and motor boating. This requires absolutely no work from me (other than carrying the boat bag), but my sunrise run completed first thing in the morning allowed me to remain guilt-free while mrC worked the boat.

Every October, Newport hosts a marathon, half marathon, and 5K. This year mrC and I will be running the half marathon, so when planning where to run our 7 miler it only seemed natural to run along the marathon course that ends at Second Beach. It's a hilly route, but the gorgeous ocean views and dream homes help take our minds off the inclines. It's also delightful to relax on the beach afterwards.

The map below is from RunGo, an app that gives you turn by turn directions using GPS. Since I don't wear earbuds (just a wrist wallet from Sprigs) I missed the call out for a horse shoe turn after the turn-around and the app didn't really respond well. Trust me, I cannot run across water!

I see people kayaking in Newport all the time and this summer I decided to try it. Although I was feeling brave, I wasn't brave enough to take out my own kayak. Two things worried me: boats making wake and tipping me over and jellyfish. So mrC and I rented a two person kayak. Once we were in the kayak and moving, I mostly forgot about my fears and focused on keeping my arms moving. Five minutes in and I was tired! It was an intense upper body workout, but super fun.

One of our favorite places to run is right on the base. There is an unpaved, mostly flat path that loops the base offering awesome views of the Narragansett Bay and Pell Bridge. I tried to map out a 4 mile loop using the RunGo app, but the app closed when I hit save (and of course it didn't save the route).

You can't visit Newport without taking the 10 mile drive. Instead of driving, we took a bike ride along Ocean Drive and Bellevue Avenue. The roads are bike friendly and there are oodles of places to stop and explore. I don't know why we didn't do it sooner!

We always love taking road trips to Newport, but this visit was just about perfect. Between the beautiful weather, the gorgeous views, and the fun fitness activities, we didn't want to leave!

Do you have a favorite road-trip destination?

Island Line Trail Run & Ride

Summer is the best time to take a road trip and explore new places. Even though I have lived in New England for six years, there is still plenty for me to see. Recently mrC took me on a weekend getaway to Burlington, Vermont complete with running and biking.

The weather was predicted to be perfect for packing up a few of my summer running favorites, along with my running gear essentials.

Oiselle Lesko bra, Athleta Record Time Run shorts, Nike Racerback,
Mizuno Wave Paradox, Simple Hydration Waterbottle, and Nike GPS Sportwatch

Burlington has a really nice bike trail system that runs north and south of the city that is also perfect for running. I chose Airport Park as our starting point because it offers free parking, rest rooms, and easy access to the trailhead that heads north along the historic causeway. We got a later start than we had hoped, so the 8 mile run was warm. It took about 1.5 miles to actually reach the causeway which was disappointing, but not for long. The views of Lake Champlain were amazing. We followed the Island Line Trail until we reached the Bike Ferry and turned around.

Wanting to be ready for anything, I threw together a mix of items for the bike ride along the waterfront.

Old Navy Tank, J.Crew shorts, VS bikini, Athleta No Rush Hoodie,
FlipBelt, Saucony Bullet Vegans

This time we hopped on the bike trail at North Beach Park and rode south into downtown Burlington. Once again we had gorgeous weather and spectacular views for an amazing 10 mile ride. Along the way we watched an Army rescue training session and even sat in a Blackhawk helicopter. I learned the story behind Champy, the Vermont equivalent of the Loch Ness Monster and watched a little of the US Women's Dragon Boat time trials.

Where did your last road trip take you?