Why do I always run on the same road?

People often take the piss because most of my runs are the same loop. Out the house, turn right, turn left, over the two bridges, turn right, out and back. Up and down that same stretch. Boring, apparently.

I see it differently. I like the consistency. I know every section and landmark. It is flat, there is little traffic and I can nail sessions accurately. If I am doing intervals I do not have to think. On easy or long runs I often pick the same route for the same reason. It lets me just run.

Part of it is mental training. If I can stick to the same road and not go hunting for novelty, I am practising sitting with my thoughts. Focusing on the moment, not the scenery. Disconnecting from the need for external stimulation. That pays off deep into an ultra when it is just you and your head for hours. I do not need a new view to keep going. I can keep going anyway.

Do not get me wrong, I still love a new place now and again. I just do not need it every day. Day in, day out I want something consistent and repeatable that I can draw on later. Badwater 135 is one ribbon of tarmac in a vast desert. Immense beauty, yes, but also the same white line for mile after mile. Training on my same road is me preparing for that. Control what I can control. Keep my internal dialogue calm. Get the job done.

So when you see me on that same stretch again, that is the point. It is not laziness. It is rehearsal.

And it’s not a bad piece of tarmac.