Running seems easy enough. You just grab a pair of sneakers and put one foot in front of the other, right? Well, anyone who has struggled to get through a mile or even the first 5 minutes (yep, we’ve been there) knows it’s not quite that simple.

If you’ve ever considered joining the sweaty, endorphin-fueled club of runners but are even the tiniest bit intimidated at the thought of running a 5K or trying to figure out what the heck a fartlek is, we’re here to help. We asked now-seasoned runners to confess the biggest mistakes they made as newbies to the sport so you can pound the pavement with confidence.