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Navigating the horizontal cargo net was not easy. I accomplished this same manuever — falling and getting tied up in the ropes. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel)

Ive had a couple of days to recoup and reflect on my Warrior Dash experience. Heres a quick rundown on the highs and lows.

WHINE, WHINE, WHINE. Ive only heard one complaint from one person (male): There was too much mud. To that I say, Get over it, you wimp. If you didnt want to get muddy, why, why, WHY did you even participate? I paid my money and wore white just so I could walk away covered in mud. In fact, its the mud that will get me to sign up next year and the year after.

UNEVEN, SLIPPERY TERRAIN. The hype surrounding the race had me envisioning all sorts of injuries (for example: someone super klutzy (me) tripping and falling into the fire). However, it didnt take long to realize that my biggest concern (really the only concern) needed to be twisting an ankle. It was top of my mind with every awkward step I took as I splashed through puddles and slid through slimy mud. Thankfully, I walked away without a limp.

SMART WARRIOR VS. WIMPY WARRIOR. As I approached the first of many puddles, I had to make a decision: Was I going to take the easy route and stay to the edge of the course so I only had to trudge through the shallowest portions, or was I going to head straight down the middle of the course into the deepest parts? I decided it didnt make me less of a warrior to stay to the edges. It, in fact, made me a smart warrior. Anyone disagree?

THE WORST OBSTACLE. The horizontal cargo net was the most difficult for me. Ive had others say that the tires were the biggest energy sap and some said the humid, smelly tent o mud was their most dreaded obstacle. What caused you the most problems?

BATTLE WOUNDS: I have a couple of scrapes and bruises (I blame the horizontal cargo net). I still have dirt under my toenails (although I promise Ive scrubbed them daily with no luck). My sunburned shoulders are proof that you cant forgo the sunscreen in Florida just because its still winter.

Overall it was an incredible experience that I cant wait to repeat. Ive got to start planning my costume.

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Read about my experience at Florida’s first Warrior Dash on Jan. 29-30.

Want to get close to the action without getting muddy? Check out Orlando Sentinel photographer Gary W. Green’s photo gallery and incredible video.

For more information on Warrior Dash competitions and to get race results, go to WarriorDash.com.

Last year, I strived to embrace a healthy lifestyle. In 2011, I plan to ratchet up a notch. Healthy isnt good enough, I want to be a fitness machine.

OK, Ive gone a little overboard maybe a lot overboard.

My first goal for the New Year is to run 200(ish) miles from Miami to Key West this weekend. Before you have me committed, let me tell you I wont be running all 200 miles by myself (I’m not thatcrazy).

Ive joined a team participating in the Ragnar Relay Series. There are 10 of us on team Jacks & Jills Race For Water splitting the 191.1 miles over predetermined legs. We start Friday at 7:30 a.m. and someone on the team will be running constantly until we cross the finish line sometime Saturday.

My concerns (in this order):

1. Limited restroom facilities (I find I always need one when Im nervous or there are no toilets available)

2. Lack of sleep (I have been known to turn into a witch when I dont get my 8 hours)

3. Getting lost (Im terrible with directions)

4. Actually completing the 3 legs Im responsible for (my priorities are a little skewed; this should probably rank higher)

And somewhere hovering above these concerns is my need to have control over every aspect of my life. That control will be thrown out of the window for this endeavor. I will need to embrace the side of me that iseasygoing and rugged Im sure shes in there somewhere.

I plan to blog about it as I go, so check back here Friday and Saturday for updates and remember, Ill be sleep deprived and probably spend a lot of time lost while searching for a bathroom, so cut me some slack.

A year ago this week I went shopping for jeans.

I remember it quite well. I was throwing a party for a coworker that was leaving the newspaper and I was in need of something new to wear. It had been some time since I stepped foot in a clothing store. (After gaining weight, trying on clothes wasnt high on my list of things I enjoyed.)

I had mentally prepared myself for the size 8 that I would leave the store with. Unfortunately, I left with a size 10. Im certain that if I had any more time, I would have visited every store in Florida until I could find a size 8 that fit. (Postponing the party only briefly crossed my mind.)

In October I went back to that same store with the same goal: Purchasing a pair of jeans.

This time I didnt need to prepare myself for any shockers. I have been exercising and eating healthy since Dec. 28.

I grabbed a size 6 and a size 4 and headed back to the fitting rooms.

And I actually did have a shock. I left with a size 2.

Not too long ago I compared an instructor cancelling an individual exercise class to a child’s snow day. The joy of gaining that extra time without the guilt of taking it upon yourself to skip a class was priceless, I wrote.

But today the news was not so uplifting.

A class I’ve been taking for the good part of a year is being canceled. It’s not the end of the world. There are other classes out there and I’m sure I’ll find one that works with my schedule and I feel comfort with. And honestly, I think I’m ready for the next step.

But my Basic Yoga class is the one that I very tentatively started and surprisingly fell in love with.

So much about the classes we decided to stick with depends on the instructor. Was there a connection? Are they quick to help you when you are struggling? Do you trust that they will push you and make you stronger? Do you look forward to returning?

These decisions are often being made while you are concentrating on a completely new activity. It doesn’t give you a lot of time to process information, but usually it doesn’t take that long.

I knew before my first class ended that I was going to continue taking yoga, and specifically take Danielle’s class. I’ve had other instructors since I’ve started practicing – and I’ve learned something new from each of them – but Danielle’s approach was what initially clicked with me.

Danielle more than prepared me for the next step – a level 1 or 2 class. But that doesn’t make it any easier to say good bye to my basic yoga class – or to Danielle.

Photo by Stephen Lewis (MarieClaire.com)

I was surprised to come across a Marie Claire article online disparaging the work of six popular healthy eating bloggers, several of whom I have followed for almost a year.

The article, which also appears in the November issue of the magazine, paints these women — Kath Younger (who blogs at katheats.com), Tina Haupert (carrotsncake.com), Meghann Anderson (graduatemeghann.com), Caitlin Boyle (healthytippingpoint.com), Heather Pare (hangrypants.com) and Jenna Weber (eatliverun.com) — as food and fitness extremists who have unhealthy obsessions with their physical appearances and the food they’re putting into their bodies.

The bloggers are lambasted for advocating healthier eating, when “in fact,” as the writer Katie Drummond suggests, they are putting readers and themselves in danger with their unhealthy approach to food and fitness.

The article is unfortunate and unfairly slanted.

In reading these healthy eating/living/fitness blogs, I have garnered inspiration and motivation for my own daily walk (and, of course, for this blog), as I’m sure many other women have.

The women who write the blogs offer up healthy recipes (and some not-so-healthy), keep food journals of what they eat throughout the day, post pictures, share what exercise they’ve done and offer small glimpses into their personal lives. They write honestly about their successes and hopes, as well as their struggles and frustrations.

Most importantly, they make clear that they in no way are the last word on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They are offering examples from their own lives of exercise and diet failures and victories.

No, these girls are not dietitians (except for Younger) or fitness experts — but they don’t tout themselves as such, either.

I’m sure it’s possible that some unhealthy or struggling readers could come across these blogs and think they need to follow the bloggers’ routines to a T without care or concern for their own needs and well-being.

And I’m also positive there are blogs being written by girls who are truly unhealthy and who promote distorted eating and exercise.

In reading these blogs, though, I am quite sure that is not the goal of any of these bloggers. Sure, there are times when they come across as compulsive about what they eat or don’t eat. There are times when they seem to exercise too much and eat too little.

But in reality, they are just like the majority of us. Struggling to find a balance each day, wanting to live healthily, striving for a fit body.

Have you read the Marie Claire article? Do you follow any health or fitness blogs? What’s your take on the issue?