It's been warmer than usual this month and a couple of weeks ago, the temperature hit 70 degrees in New York. That's insane, right?

It was sunny and mild that Saturday and while I'd already gone to the gym in the morning, I wanted to go for a run around the Central Park Reservoir path, about 1.56 miles. The only problem was that I'd invited people over for dinner and I had to shop, bake (the tarte tatin), prepare the meal, pick up the apartment, and set the table. I hadn't been on the path since November or maybe it was early December. I can't remember. As fall set in, it became easier to head to the gym and run on the treadmill and do other forms of cardio rather than heading over to the Reservoir and the bridal path.

Suddenly, that day, I struggled between the simple and pure desire to make the most of the warm weather on a run, versus buckling down to go food shopping and prepare dinner. It felt like both things were worthy pleasures that I wanted to fulfill. Ultimately, I chose not to run because of the time pressure--I knew I couldn't spare the time it would take to get over to the path (10 blocks away due west), run, and return home. I needed the time to prepare for dinner so I wouldn't be frantic.

I made the right choice, but I experienced the child-like pang that so many of us feel that we didn't get to do both!

Maybe it's just one form of the struggle between the candy bar versus the Kashi bar. Which one wins?