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On a Monday morning, when people ask me what I did over the weekend, lately my answer is, “Running, running and more running.”

Sometimes it can be tough to get the miles in for my Boston Marathon training during the week, so I find myself catching up on the weekends, cramming in two longer routes, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. When it's a weekday, I jog four-to-six miles a few times a week after work at the gym, but I’d rather be outside. Did I mention I hate the dreadmill? Next week, my goal is to switch to morning workouts outdoors, so I can take advantage of the fresh air and explore my new neighborhood a bit more.

I'm very lucky, this has been one of the best winters for training. It feels like spring, and running outside is one of the best ways to see the beauty of our state. You can access views that can't be seen by car. One of my favorite places is the East Bay Bike Path, and fortunately, I live about two miles away from the Warren section.

Two weekends ago, I filled up my Rhode Island-invented FuelBelt with some Powerade and stuffed my pockets with Gu from Rhode Runner, and then I set off to run sixteen miles on the path.

I started in Warren and parked at the fire station, then I ran four miles from Warren to the end of the path in Bristol. Even though it was like a sunny spring day, wow, was it windy near the water. I should have worn a hat. Never fear, I ran the four miles back to my car in Warren, retrieved my hat, and then ran four more miles into Barrington and East Providence. After that, I turned around and jogged four more miles back to my car. It doesn’t seem so daunting when you break it up into four, four-mile jogs, does it?

At the end of the day, I was amazed that I had passed through four towns. I find myself tracking my mileage in my car, and thinking, “I’m only eighteen miles from the Pawtucket Wintertime Farmer’s Market. I could run there!”

I'm up to about thirty miles a week now, and that number will only increase as I am less than eight weeks away from the April 16 race.

Here are some of my favorite running routes:

1. East Bay Bike Path: Park at the lot across from the Warren fire station and run through downtown Warren and along the water until you reach Bristol's Colt State Park on the right. You can run down there into the park, or continue along the path into downtown Bristol and Independence Park, then head back in the opposite direction back to your car.
2. East Bay Bike Path: Park at Bold Point Park in Providence, and follow Veterans Memorial Parkway along the path until you run through coves and Squantum Woods State Park in East Providence. You can continue running for miles and miles through Haines Memorial Park, and continue into Barrington, where water views reappear. Then turn around and head in the opposite direction, back into East Providence, and admire the city views and the I-Way Bridge from another perspective.
3. College Hill: Take to the hills of College Hill (Heartbreak Hill has nothing on these mounds). I park my car at Roger Williams National Memorial Park (two-hour limit), and then I head down North Main Street past Mill’s Tavern, and take a left on Thomas Street right before the First Baptist Church. I head up the hills and wander around the historical neighborhoods passing through Benefit Street and the Brown campus, and wherever my feet might take me.
4. Pearse Road and Seaview Avenue in Swansea: This route follows the water from Swansea, Mass., and into Warren. It’s a residential neighborhood with plenty of gorgeous homes, but the views are even better.
5. Blackstone Boulevard Walking Path: Good for shorter runs, the energy on this 1.6-mile path is infectious. There are lots of runners, walkers and dog-walkers, and everyone is always smiling at you and runners are silently competing with you to see who has the faster pace.