Dashing around Dulwich

Our continuing series of what the Dulwich Picture Gallery attendants, past and present, are getting up to.
Wayne Lashley is challenging himself while raising money for charity.

“In November of 2008, I began a journey towards what is, without question the most daunting and physically demanding challenge of my life so far, the 2009 London Marathon[26 April]. It is something I have thought about doing (mainly because of other people suggesting I should do it!) without ever taking it to the next step of actually putting my name forward for entry.

What was different this year was that I had set hours when I knew I could train properly, so finally I had the will and the determination to commit to the challenge. My best mate had also made the decision to apply for the marathon but chose balloted entry. I had taken a different route however. I feel it is important that if possible, other people should benefit from my effort. So I applied for entry to the marathon via the charity, Action Medical Research. I have had previous experience with this charity when I completed the London to Paris Cycle Challenge back in 2006 and had found it an excellent organisation to work with. My place was guaranteed quite early on. My mate however had failed to secure a balloted place. For the time being I would have to go it alone; a rather daunting proposition in the build up to your first marathon attempt.

An important motivation for me has been the Tiny Lives Campaign that Action Medical Research is raising valuable funds for. The birth of a child should be a time of great joy and yet for many, it is a time of sadness and despair. Each year in the UK around 50,000 babies are born too early. In fact every week, 25 babies die as a result of premature birth. It is the single biggest cause of death among infants under one year old in the UK. Only medical research can give us a real understanding of the conditions that put mothers and babies at risk and enable doctors to find new treatments. Tiny Lives Campaign calls on this (and any future) government to develop the first UK focused National Research Strategy to support doctors and scientists as they look for answers.

Action Medical Research have given me an online sponsorship page and any donations made through this will go straight to Tiny Lives Campaign.

Despite this worthy cause, the sort of person I am means that simply completing the marathon would not be enough. Satisfaction would come not only from raising money for Action Medical Research but also from completing the marathon in a time that I can be happy with. So I decided to train with a finishing time of a sub 3 hours in mind. It won’t be easy but then that is why I am doing it.

Training has been hard and it is likely to get harder but then in the words of the Cycling legend, Lance Armstrong, “Pain is only temporary”. The furthest single run I have completed to date is just over 21 miles and I rejoined my running club, Dulwich Runners in a bid to push myself even further.

I first joined the club when I was still working at Dulwich Picture Gallery as an attendant. This was about 3 years ago. I wanted to take up running again after a long absence from the sport but needed somewhere that was close to work so that travelling would not be an issue. The Dulwich Runners Club fitted the criteria perfectly. I left the running club when I left Dulwich Picture Gallery. But with the latest challenge looming ominously like a bad smell, it seemed fitting that I return to the only running club I’ve been part of.

The benefit of running with others is that you have company and you are running with people who want to push themselves. The club also has established veterans who have run the London Marathon before and who know what it takes to get competitive times. Their advice and companionship is invaluable.

With so many connections to Dulwich, it is not surprising that the majority of my training has been around and through Dulwich Village and East Dulwich. It’s a lovely place to run. So if you happen to be on a walk through the Village and you are passed by a scrawny looking chap who is clearly busting a gut to get somewhere in a hurry, chances are it is me so be sure to give me a wave or some words of encouragement. It all helps!

Ed. Why not sponsor Wayne, that will also help.