For Tyrie Jenkins and husband George Norcross, staying in shape is all about connection — to their maturing bodies, to the roads, trails and oceans through which they speed, to friends old and new who share their journeys.

And, mostly, to each other.

"The time we spend taking the dogs out or sailing or skiing is time that we get to spend together," says Jenkins, 50.

The couple met while sailing, courted during long runs, and continue to nurture their relationship with a steady dose of adventures big and small.

Whether it's close-to-home workouts like their weekly run along the Nu'uanu-Judd trail with their two Labrador/golden retrievers or a 10-mile bike ride on the North Shore, or more involved trips like a three-day hike up Mauna Loa or a bicycle tour of the Gulf Islands, Jenkins and Norcross have found that their marriage and their bodies thrive on physical exertion.

"It's a balance," Norcross says. "It's nice to do something physical in the morning and then chill together for the rest of the day."

Norcross, 57, has enjoyed the active, outdoor life for as long as he can remember. He ran cross country in high school and parlayed his rowing abilities to scholarships at Syracuse University and the University of Oregon.

These days, Norcross stays in shape with moderate but regular doses of running, paddling and weightlifting. "I try to get one or two hours of exercise every day," he says. "If you can spend 22 hours a day eating, drinking and sleeping, you can spend at least two hours exercising."

The daily workouts provide Norcross a solid fitness base, which in turn allows him to jump at opportunities for more rigorous projects, be it climbing to the 19,300-foot summit of Kilimanjaro or cycling 200 miles from Telluride, Colo. to Moab, Utah.

Jenkins grew up in Wilmington, Del., and played field hockey, lacrosse and squash in high school and college.

With a thriving ophthalmology practice that finds her in the office from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, Jenkins is forced to be efficient with her fitness activities. She turns to ashtanga yoga and Pilates to build and maintain her strength and flexibility. She says Pilates is particularly useful during the skiing trips she makes with Norcross each year.

Jenkins, who has finished the marathon, also runs a couple of times during the week, but she has to watch her mileage: "When I was running eight or nine miles in the morning, I'd get the worst headache by the end of the day."

Because her work as a surgeon requires such fine dexterity, she also has to forgo joining Norcross on his morning paddling sessions.

"I just try to live an active lifestyle," Jenkins says. "That includes taking the stairs instead of the elevator and walking between offices instead of driving."

As usual, there is much on the calendar. This weekend, the couple will race a Cal-20 sailboat around Maui. This summer, they'll compete in the Kilauea Volcano Wilderness Run, then ride their bicycles around the Big Island with a group of friends. In October, they'll join another group of friends on a rafting tour through the Grand Canyon.

"We plan on many, many more years of living an active life," Jenkins says.

It is, after all, all about love.