Girl Power

I'm heading up the hill on a bike;  she's heading down, running with a big hydration pack, a detail that tells me we share the same addiction to LSD (long slow distance).  I put my hand out to give her a high five and I see her smile, smack my hand, and yell, "GIRL POWER."

I snort a laughter that has me skip a breath, missing oxygen I need to keep cranking.

"GIRL POWER," I scream into the wind, knowing my running twin is too far gone to hear me. I was maybe 12 years old, still embracing the color pink, the last time I thought this expression was relevant.

But GIRL POWER is exactly what seems to push me up the 6% hill and on to finish a "quick" 50 mile bike ride.