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.
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