There's a 7-mile race I'd like to enter in exactly 100 days. I plan to walk, not run, the entire distance. I'm overweight and out of shape, but I just don't have the discipline to stick with an exercise program unless I have a concrete goal like this. So I've been doing aerobics (Firm tapes and Gazelle) and eating right for about two weeks now, but I still run out of steam after about 25 minutes. Does anyone have any advice on increasing my stamina?

By the way, I'm about 70 pounds overweight. Naturally, I hope that working toward my goal will cause me to drop some weight, but watching the scale makes me nuts, so I'm trying to concentrate on fitness instead of weight.

The only way to increase your stamina is, well, to keep exercising! You might take a look at the Couch to 5K program. http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtmlIt's designed for complete beginners to move into running. Even if you can't do it on their schedule, you still have plenty of time to prepare for your race. I did the program in 2000 at about 60 lbs overweight and was able to do a 5K at the end, and one about 6 weeks later in which I ran - not fast - all the way. Stick with the exercising and you'll do great.

Stick wih exercising, the more you do the better you get at it, no matter what your exercise of choice be it walking, running, eleptical or whatever... Patience is key! Keep up the great work and keep us posted... I know you can do it!

Thanks for the encouragement, WaterRat and Ilene! I guess I really know that it's just a question of sticking with it, but I was a little surprised and disappointed at how out of shape I turned out to be. I didn't think I had backslidden quite so far. But I do intend to stick with it and see what the next 100 days (or 97 days, at this point) bring. Then I'll need to find another goal. I'll keep posting my progress.

Good job. I just added it up and there's about 150 days to a 5K I want to run in. I may find one or more before then, but this one is held every year for the library network I work in, and while I work at registration every year, I haven't run it since 2001, although I walked it in 2004.

Well, I'm starting to see results. I've increased my aerobic exercise time from about 25 minutes a day to 35 minutes a day. Some days I feel like I could go longer, but I don't want to burn out, so I'm sticking to a gradual increase. My strength training is kind of informal: a few crunches and some upper body work with weights every other night or so while I'm watching TV. But I'm starting to notice a bit of improvement. Not much, mind you, but just enough to feel a difference.

I only have 92 days till race time. That doesn't seem like much, when you're in the kind of shape I am. If a woman of normal weight wanted to do a seven-mile walk carrying an extra 60 or 70 pounds worth of weights, people would say she was crazy. Officials might not even let her enter the race with all that extra gear. But in my case, the extra weight is part of my body, so I confess there are times when I feel a little intimidated about the prospect. That's why I keep coming back for encouragement.

If I can just work two or three more servings of veggies & fruits into my diet every day, I'll really be on track.

This may be a silly question, but are you WALKING as part of your training? You need to be working on the muscles in your feet, legs and hips that support walking and so you really need to be walking to do that. Go to thewalkingsite.com where you'll find training schedules and tips. Good luck!

Dinah is right...If you really need to walking A LOT! Plus, the walking site she mentioned is what I used to help me train when I walked a marathon last year. You can do it!!!!

If you can only go 30-35 min at a time try doing a walk in the morning and then another workout in the evening. Eventually your endurance will get better but splitting up the workouts can be effective too. You can do it, it's great to have a goal like that.

Thanks for the link, and it's not a silly question. I live in on a rural road in a northern climate. There are days when the weather's mild and it's safe to walk outside, and other days when the road is too icy. I'll be doing mostly aerobics until March, when I should be able to transition to outdoor walking.

I also like the suggestion about adding an extra walk or workout later in the day.

I really appreciate everyone's encouragement. It helps to have some feedback and accountability.