FitOne is coming up next weekend, and there are many more events like it happening later this fall.  And you can totally conquer these things.  Here's how.

Don't try so hard!  Trying makes us tired and running doesn't need any help with that.  Relax and have fun, and don't worry about what other people think.  Because they are probably sucking wind too, and if they're just spectating you already win because you're off the couch and doing it.

I started running about five years ago, and I still can't believe after a chubby childhood and ups and downs with weight throughout my life, that I can actually call myself a runner now.  If I can do it you can too.

I started out running two minutes at a time, just to see if I could do it.  And that stretched to four minutes, and then five minutes, and then ten.  It wasn't long before I was running a 5k.  My 5k time wasn't competitive at first, but I didn't care!  I was so proud of myself for finishing it without dying, that it didn't matter how long it took.  I think those first 5k times were around 34 minutes, and now I can do one in about 26 minutes, which isn't going to beat any cross country speedsters but it works for me.  The point is, I didn't try too hard or take it too seriously when I was starting out and after a while, I was mowing down goals that I didn't really know I had set.  Some days now I'll run 8 or 9 miles, and sometimes I'll go 11.  That first-grade classmate that called me "fatso" should come along sometime.  We'd have fun.

Cosmo offers up some running tips for those who think they hate running too.

-- Start slow.  Two minutes, then four minutes, then ten, and when you're body wants to quit just go thirty seconds more.  Every little bit of "extra" trains your body and your brain to endure and builds muscles that you didn't even know could pop out on your body.  That leads to more momentum.

--  Don't overhaul your diet and start carb-loading.  If you stick with running you'll burn carbs like crazy, but if you frontload, you'll probably gain weight and have more to carry around while you're trying to get up to speed, and that's no good.

-- Prevent boredom.  Run with a friend or listen to music to take your mind off of what your body is doing.  Our app comes in handy here.

-- Avoid running when you feel weak or hungry.  Running is harder during those times, and then you'll get discouraged and want to quit.  Prevent that with some simple carbs like bread or low-sugar cereal with lots of vitamins about an hour before you set out to run.  That and a banana will give you energy, and more energy means less hatred of running.

Nobody is going to give you the side-eye for running part of a 5k and walking the rest.  Just try it!

FitOne is happening next Saturday, September 28, with a 5k, a 10k, and a half marathon.  It raised $100,000 for St. Luke's Children's Hospital last year, and the idea that you're running for a good cause should totally put some more wind in your sails.  You got this.

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