I'll Meet You at the Finish!

Shipman, who notes that her zeal for exercise (mostly as a runner) dates from her marriage to a marathoner, takes 160 pages to say that couples who pursue fitness together remain couples. Along the way, she muses on her Southern California lifestyle and writes with a derivative cuteness, as evidenced by her chapter titles, which include ""Come Fly With Me,'' ``What's It All About, Alfie?'' ``Let's Get Physical . . . Let Me Hear Your Body Talk,'' ``You Say Tomato . . . And I Say Tomahto'' and ``That Old Black Magic.'' In small doses, the pieces may interest some runners, but together they come across as self-indulgent and belie a mind-numbing preoccupation with cosmetic fitness. (April)