A few weeks ago I had a big mental struggle trying to decide what races to run this year and whether to go long again and do another ultramarathon. I resolved this by doing nothing, abandoning the tentative plans that had been forming in my head, entering no races and just getting on with trying to run regularly.
Then, in the last few days, I have even found myself wondering whether I want to run another marathon at all or whether I might be happier sticking to half-marathons with the occasional 15-20 mile race thrown in (like The Grizzly in March or the Seaview 17 in July). But suddenly, today, after I saw a Facebook post promoting the run, I find myself strangely drawn to a race that is taking place in June called the Conquest of Avalon. The route takes in some beautiful Somerset scenery (the county of my upbringing), ends at Glastonbury and includes running up and down the famous Glastonbury Tor. There are 30 mile and 50 mile distances. Doing the 30 mile event would be the sensible thing for me to do, but out of the blue I find I am hugely drawn to the 50 mile version. The first 20 miles or so of the route, which is the part that differs from the 30 miler, look to me like the most interesting part, taking in Ham Hill and Cadbury Camp. It’d be a shame to miss out on those landmarks.
Part of the reason I am drawn to this event is that on my wall at home I have a painting that my father did in the 1950s from my parents’ then home near Castle Cary, looking west towards Glastonbury Tor (which you can see in the distance of the picture). I look at this picture every day – it beautifully shows the type of countryside that the run covers. How could I not want to run in that picture? How could anyone not want to run in THIS picture…?
Tim O'Hare 
The decision is pretty much made, but it’s going to be the 30 mile version not the 50 Miler. Sense has prevailed!