Having a distance goal when you’re out running makes the actual place where you do the run matter less. This is great. I have a loop of around 1.6km next to my house. This isn’t a very interesting place: you end up seeing everything after a few runs. I would frequently avoid it and go running on different and longer routes. Not when my goal is distance though. I’ve set myself a target to run 8.6 miles (13.84km) each day. And I’m having a great time running this loop. As I slow down, I get to notice and appreciate more things around me. Having just 1.6km of the road also feels like a gift: not everywhere you can have that much space.