It's Like Direct Deposit

I learned something today which you may have already known.

I went for a rualk in Alexandra Farms, the neighborhood behind our house.  I mapped out my course before I left and found that it was 1.6 miles long with only one tiny little shortcut available.  When I started out, I just set a goal in my mind of reaching the end of the 1.6 miles...which I did.

Here's where the fun starts.  I had no choice but to come back.  I had "direct deposited" 1.6 miles into my workout plan.  I guess I could have called Cheryl to come pick me up, but there were a few problems with that scenario.

1)  Macho men don't ask for directions, much less call for rides.
2)  I wouldn't be polite to ask my wife to drop what she was doing and come rescue me.
3)  I didn't bring my phone.  (See how I planned that?)

If you are a fledgling runner like myself, it's great having a track that you can do laps on.  But what's even better is if you have a course that is the complete distance that you want to go, with no shortcuts available.

Does anyone else have any suggestions along those lines?  Are you thinking about giving my technique a try?