You could take me along as a translator.
Best way to learn french: in an immersion situation.
Another idea: if there is a college in your town, hire a French major (or a teacher) to give you some private lessons. Then you can learn some basic phrases, AND learn short conversational situations (you can listen to CD's and practice along, but nothing really prepares you for interaction, except interaction! Don't worry about having a thick accent: if you don't speak much French, it's better to HAVe an accent, so it's pretty obvious right up front!
Defininitely learn basic courtesy: say "bonjour Madame" or "bonjour Monsieur" when you enter shops (Americans get a reputation for being rude, because they often don't do this, and to many French, especially those out of the tourist loop, which is more interesting, it's like someone walking into your house without acknowledging your presence). When leaving, say "merci, au revoir".
Workouts? You don't need a workout. I was in Paris last summer, and I walked from morning till evening, both in the streets and in the metro system (which is a great way to get around: very convenient, and once you learn it, very logical). At most, take some resistance tubing for some upper body work (though carrying shopping bags and big purses full of what you need for the day can be quite an upper-body workout itself!).
Definitely pick up a Paris street guide (even Parisians use them, not just tourists) and ditch the big 'I'm a lost tourist" map, except to consult in your room when making plans for the day). Look for a "guide des arrondissements parisiens," like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Plan-Paris-par-Arrondissement-District/dp/0785991824 (you can also wait and buy one once you are there, but if you get it ahead of time, you can practice reading it, and mark locations)
You might also want to pick up a walking tour book once you are in Paris (go to a small bookshop if you can find one, and ask the owner to help you. One of the most wonderful things about France is how helpful--if you are polite!---the shop owners are. They know what they are selling, and they love to help. It was quite a culture shock when I came back to the US, and I wanted to go to thus-and-such store for one thing, to another type of store for another, and the only place locally that had what I wanted was Walmart. Not quite the same experience!)
Once you get to Paris, if you are interested in seeing a movie or a play, or just seeing what's going on, pick up a copy of "Pariscope" or "L'Officiel des Spectacles" (go to a kiosque--a magazine stand--say "bonjour madame/monsieur" and "Pariscope, s'il vous plaît") which is a weekly listing of what's going on. You can even find some listings of guided tours that you just show up for and pay the guide on the spot (tours in English as well). I didn't get a chance to do that , but I thought it seemed like a cool idea.
Take some post-it "arrows" with you to mark pages.
Paris hotel sinks often don't have stoppers, so I recommend taking a large (2 gallon) zip-lock plastic bag or two (they work well for hand washing clothes; taking a foot bath, if you have a hotel room with no bathtub or bidet, like I did, and packing your dirty clothes on the way back.)
Some nice places to visit:
The Marais district
The "bouquinistes" (book sellers) on the Seine.
Here's the thread where I gave a 'report' of my Paris trip. It might give you some ideas.
http://cathenation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=249193&highlight=paris+trip
