Alex Chau got into running when he decided to train for the Vancouver Sun Run. He has been the floor manager of The Running Room, on Denman Street, in Vancouver for seven years and we figured he could tell us everything we need to know about running.

How easy is it to start if you have never tried running before?

If you haven’t been active at all you should do walks of 20 minutes to an hour just to get your body going. If you already workout occasionally, you can get right into a “learn to run” training program, which introduces you to the activity with running and walking intervals. From there you increase your running time very gradually from week to week. We start with 1 min running intervals and build it up from there.

What would a beginner find challenging?

If you can walk you can start to run - physically anyone can do it. It’s actually more challenging for the mind to complete each workout and running on your own is hard, so we encourage people to find a group or clinic to run with. The whole idea of starting any exercise or routine is that you are challenging your body to do something you haven’t done before. Sometimes it doesn’t feel that easy. But if you have a positive attitude it is much easier to keep going. Running is satisfying for both the body and the mind – so it’s worth it.

What kind of workout does it give your body?

It is a high intensity cardiovascular workout. It strengthens your lower body, but you are also building your upper body, core and your back. Running on a treadmill is easier, but I find that running outside you have better control of your speed. If you just slow down slightly you can actually keep going longer and longer and give your body a great workout.

What kind of equipment would you need to get started?

Properly fitted running shoes are essential. Go into a specialty running store, like The Running Room, to get help picking out the perfect running shoe. You also need to layer your clothing: base layer, mid layer and a breathable water resistant shell. As you get more into it you might want to consider a heart rate monitor that also measures speed and distance.

What are the costs involved?

You can’t run without good shoes and the basic cost would be $130-190 for a good pair. Running Room’s “Learn to run” program is $69.99 for ten weeks. Otherwise running is totally free! And if you are running in the cold then you need to consider the clothing costs as well. If you are planning to run at the gym on the treadmill then you will need to add that monthly fee or drop in rate.