Gimme Shelter- The Rolling Stones

Everytime I hear this song I'm instantly taken back to a vibrant time in my life. It was a short period of time, but a time in my life that I think back to and laugh all the time. For a brief period of time I was fearless and the only female junior rider on the Rainbow Racing cycling team. (The team name alone makes me laugh out loud. It was not a gay and lesbian cycling team-but it should be!)

Saturdays were training days on the 7-11 Velodrome. Music playing loudly on the PA. The only song I ever remember hearing was Gimme Shelter. At the beginning of the song I see myself gliding out of the mid and onto the track. I can smell the heat radiating off the concrete. I would take a couple warm up laps and just as the song gets going so would my legs. I would embrace my inner Nelson Vails and beat the shit out of my track bike. I wanted to kick the ass of every boy I raced against- My own teammates who didn't take kindly to a female in the team pursuit.

It's amazing the number of visual and olfactory memories this song activates.

I hold this song close to my heart as a song of strength and determination. A musical mantra I play for myself any time the going gets tough; whenever I need reminding of my inner strength and power.

I may no longer be a cyclist, but I am still an athlete and when I pound the pavement this is the first song on my workout playlist.

My New Favorite Music Playlist (#5)

1. World Sick- Broken Social Scene
2. Excuses- The Morning Benders
3. New York Is Killing Me- Gil Scott-Heron
4. Yellow Wings- Keepaway
5. What Would I Want- Animal Collective
6. Sheila-Atlas Sound
7. Hope Child- Free Energy
8. A More Perfect Union- Titus Andronicus
9. I Will Live On Islands- Josh Rouse
10. Do The Method- Method Actors

Playlist #4 (The I'm Ready For Summer List)

1. O Shot- The Gay Blades
2. Ghetto Love- Spinnerette
3. Vapors- Islands
4. Up To No Good- Rancid
5. For Our Elegant Castle- Of Montreal
6. Two Weeks- Grizzly Bear
7. Y Control- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
8. Time To Pretend- MGMT
9. Lisztomania- Phoenix
10. Go!- Tones On Tail

Things that people shouldn't admit...

They like John Mayer


...just sayin'.

Playlist #3

1. Neverends- Vijay Kishore
2. The Ark- Dr. Dog
3. The Swimmer- Sleater-Kinney
4. Death to the Storm- Joe Henry
5. Happiest Times- Little Big Adventure
6. All the Wine- The National
7. Better To Be- Liam Finn
8. Red Eyes and Tear- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
9.Run Chicken Run- The Felice Brothers
10. Magpie to the Morning- Neko Case (*sigh, big girl crush going strong for 6 years now)

Playlist #2

1. Babys- Bon Iver
2.Muzzle of Bees- Wilco
3. The High Road- Broken Bells
4. Little Shadow- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5. I've Got Your Number - Passion Pit
6. As I Sat Sadly By Her Side- Nick Cave
7. Call It a Day- The Raconteurs
8. A Few Honest Words- Ben Sollee
9. It Don't Move Me- Peter Bjorn and John
10. Ain't No Rest For the Wicked- Cage the Elephant

Playlist #1

1. Corner- Allie Moss
2. Wages of Sin- Damien Jurado & Rosie Thomas
3. Mushaboom- Feist
4. Melody- Kate Earl
5. Set Free- Katie Gray
6. Lille- Lisa Hannigan
7. The Hill- Marketa Irglova
8. Gimmie Sympathy- Metric
9. Let Him Fly- Patty Griffin
10. Skinny Love- Bon Iver

Feeling pretty melancholy...