Spring marks the time of year when every single person you follow on Instagram seems to be posting a perfectly-framed post-marathon photo, wearing a suspiciously perky smile for someone who just completed several consecutive hours of cardiovascular exercise. Weekend races are all the rage, but dabbling in the world of competitive running can be intimidating if you’ve never really incorporated it into your fitness routine. You might not know whether you’re running enough. You might get bored after a week. You might feel slow as hell. Your knees definitely hurt.

Britt Hern and Inge Boerma know all this. Hern grew up competing in triathlons, representing Canada at the Under-23 Worlds and the University World Triathlon Championships. Today, Hern puts her expertise to work creating training programs for advanced runners. Boerma has been a Nike+ Run Club coach since 2015, and a competitive runner since elementary school. Her resume includes eleven marathons and seven ultramarathons, with five podium finishes in the last two years.

Hern and Boerma are familiar with beginner’s doubt in all its various forms: deciding on a routine, setting expectations, and finding time in busy schedules. They're here to offer tips for the casual runner who wants to get into casual running—and, maybe one day, to earn a glowing post-marathon snapshot of their own, too.

1. Block out your calendar

Boerma: Treat running like any other thing on your calendar. Say, “Okay, I can’t do anything else every Tuesday at 4:30 P.M, because I’m running.” Sure, life gets in the way sometimes, but the beauty of running is that all you need is a pair of running shoes, shorts, a T-shirt. The hardest part of getting into running is getting your shoes on.

There’s always a fear for people who haven’t run in years about whether they can "still run." But remember, if you go out for a run, you’re a runner. There’s no special membership you have to pay for, or distance you have to go, or time you have to clock. A runner is someone who is running.

2. Not every run has to be difficult

Hern: The first five runs should be easy, fun, and comfortable. I wouldn’t worry about time or distance. Go out with a group of friends and run around the block a few times, or go to the track and run a few laps. The biggest thing I tell people who are starting is to be easy. If you set out to do a certain time or distance right away and it’s not attainable, it can be really discouraging.

3. Decide what success looks like

Boerma: Start small. "Okay, I’m going to run once a week, every week, for the next three weeks." People always tell me they don’t like running because it’s something they dread. It helps if you set concrete goals for yourself.

4. Find a comfortable pace

Hern: You should start at a speed that allows you to talk to the people you’re running with. I call it a social pace. Try it for, say, 15 minutes. A lot of people who start out have a hard time running for five minutes without stopping, and for them, I suggest turning it into a run-walk. If you’re going out for 40 minutes, go out for a jog, and when you need a breather, allow yourself to walk it out.

Watch:James Marshall Takes on Marathon de Sables, a 140 Mile Race Through the Sahara Desert5. Track your progress

Boerma: I encourage people to use an app, or to write down their time, distance, and pace after they run. In a month’s time, when you look back at your results and compare, you’ll notice the changes in yourself. I can’t stress how important this is. Everyone surprises themselves when they see the differences. I suggest taking qualitative notes, too, like “This run was really hard” or “I felt great during this run until 20 minutes in."

6. Indoors or outdoors?

Hern: If running to a destination isn’t your thing, stick to the treadmill. Some people, like myself, prefer to do speed work on the treadmill: You can just set it and forget it, and it might allow you to hit speeds that you wouldn't outside. Other people hate the treadmill. They want to see where they’re going, and get to a destination. Experiment with both, but always do what motivates you.

7. Mix up your music

Hern: If you listen to music while you run, make playlists for different kinds of runs. If you feel sluggish, put on a more mellow playlist and have an easy run. If you’re feeling strong, consider doing a speed workout to a kick-ass playlist.

8. Hold each other accountable

Hern: Running in a group environment can be a game-changer. It adds a little bit of friendly competition. Sometimes, having your eye on a person who is slightly faster than you can help push you harder than you would push if you were on your own.

Boerma: With a buddy, you can start to make it a goal to beat each other in time or distance, or to see who runs more often. It makes a difference.

9. Don't do what isn't fun

Hern: A lot of people think that if you’re a runner, you have to run six days a week, and that’s not true. If you love something, you can do it a lot. But it’s a choice. Personally, I only run three times a week. I’ll say if you want to see improvement in your running, aim for two to three runs a week. But you don’t have to drop everything that you’re doing—yoga, or strength training, or whatever else. Even if you’re doing it once a week, and it’s purely for enjoyment, I think that’s awesome.