I’m featured in an article in the Dallas Morning News. Scroll down, and there’s a video, too. The print version of the article also has pictures. Here’s the link:

http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/health-and-fitness/health/20150427-dont-let-time-crunches-stop-yours.ece

This opportunity was so much fun. Enjoy the link and the article, and try the workout.

Being a whistle blower absolutely sucks. It really does. The majority of people normally do not want to make waves, throw someone under a bus, or create problems. However, at some point, you have to take a stand when you see something is wrong or when you see someone is getting hurt.

Hindsight is bitter. How many times have I wished I’d taken a stand against injustices that I saw, like racism, and injustices done to me, like sexual harassment. Would it have done any good?  I don’t know.

I had to take a stand, and it was a tough call. I have no idea if anything was done to stop the situation because I have not seen any changes, but at least I said something. In doing so, in being the “bad guy,” I gained respect from my family and from myself.

If you see those red flags, don’t ignore them.  I had red flags flying right in my face, and I looked the other way out of fear. I made a huge mistake, but I corrected it . . . finally. However, there was damage, and I finally had to say something.

It’s not fun to take a stand. It’s uncomfortable. Many times I questioned whether I was making something big out of something that wasn’t a very big deal? When the red flags almost blinded me, I shut my eyes. To stand up against an organization or a person and point out that something or someone is hurting other people is just an awful feeling, but I had to say something before something else happened.

I still don’t know if my efforts paid off because I had to give control to those that promised to take care of those red flags. I have to trust them. That’s hard. I wish I had said something earlier–that bitter hindsight again. I said something now, and I hope a good will come out of it.

Like I said, being a whistle blower absolutely sucks. However, knowing I did the right thing finally is a huge weight off my shoulders and lesson learned. Next time, and I hope there is not a next time, I’ll acknowledge those red flags. They’ll have to hit me in the face, but I’ll look at them .

Whoever thought that I would have a chance to be filmed in a fitness video and have pictures taken for a spread in the Dallas Morning News?  Well, I won’t lie. Not me. Those videos are for those famous fitness people. Right? I’m a personal trainer and an academic and a writer. How in the world did this happen?

It’s all about that risk. It’s about switching careers mid-life and challenging myself. It’s about self-discovery. Really, I don’t think I’ve been this nervous since my dissertation defense. Could I pull it off? Am I really a trainer? How will I look in the video?

Silly. I love personal training almost as much as I love Dante’s Inferno and watching my college students design their own inferno/hell. Yes. I know what I’m doing. As far as what I would look like? I just had to let my enthusiasm show, and I did.

It’s all about taking that risk. It’s about putting your insecurities aside and doing what you love and enjoying it. Oh my. That could be called “confidence.”

What an incredibly opportunity. A huge shout out to Vernon, who took my pictures and made me feel at ease, and to Tommy, who hooked up my microphone and filmed while making me feel like he wasn’t even there. And a huge shout out to Leslie Barker Garcia, who not only interviewed me and allowed this wonderful opportunity to happen, but also endured those burpees.

The article will be out next week, and I’ll let everyone know when it comes and provide the links. Lesson learned and still learning: do not be scared to take a risk.

Disclaimer: I’m not a cook. I’m a baker. I can bake, but put me over the stove . . . well,  it’s a disaster.

Today, I tried a new recipe for breakfast, and I only caught the waffle iron on fire twice. All is fine, now. Really. The waffles turned out great, but the pan and the stove were a mess. Ok. They still are a hot mess. I’m procrastinating.

I used a recipe with coconut flour and coconut oil, and it was really good . . . except for the kitchen fire. I’m not a person that wants to eliminate gluten from my diet, but I just wanted to see if I liked the coconut flour. I felt better, too, than how I would felt when I ate my normal waffles.

Granted, I would usually eat these “normal” waffles after any long runs over 10 miles. Okay. The “normal” waffles are Aunt Jemima waffles that my husband would make for me. Hey, you can’t beat it.

Maybe it was the coconut flour or the fact that I simply did not run over 10 miles that made me feel better instead of that lingering tired and rather ill feeling you get from sugar and flour. I’ll let you decide.

I just ran a Google search for “Coconut Flour Waffles” and found a recipe that looked easy and had honey. I’m not giving up honey. I also added blueberries for sweetness, but you can add anything . . . like chocolate chips.

Have fun in the kitchen but don’t burn it down. I guess I need to clean up my mess.