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In 2005 Nike launched an ad campaign that was intended to be body positive and pro-running (well duh- it’s Nike!) One of their posters showed a nice, healthy pair of thighs and declared in large print – I Have Thunder Thighs and in smaller print “And that’s a compliment because they are strong and toned and muscular. And though they are unwelcome in the petite section they are cheered on in marathons.”
I thought it was a great campaign and applauded their efforts all the while having to ignore 99.9% of the skinny models in their other ads.
Today I declare myself to have thunder thighs for my own reason. Reasons having to do with my bike.
When I first started riding with TGD (the good doctor) last May he could always kick my ass – always. At first I could keep up with him pretty well but as the months went by he got stronger and I really didn’t and so keeping up with him became a struggle. When we climbed Mt. Diablo he would get way ahead of me and, like everyone else, have to wait until I caught up.
Today we rode our bike to the junction on Mt. Diablo which involves about a 2,000 foot climb. It isn’t super hard but you do have to work to make it up the hill. TGD was on-call and had to stop to answer the phone repeatedly but I wouldn’t know he had stopped until I looked back and down the hill (it goes switch back) and not see him. I would stop and wait and then, when he didn’t show up for a while I would go back DOWN the mountain to fetch him and then go back up again. Last year this would have been flat out unthinkable. No way would I have headed down for fear of never making it back up to where I was. Every inch of climb was an air robbing, gasp laden struggle.
But wait! There’s more! My bike has a triple on it and I generally have to resort to the small chain ring by the time I’ve climbed about 800 – 900feet. Not today. Today I made it up to the junction in the middle chain ring – and it wasn’t even that hard.
WINNER!
So today I declare myself to be a woman with Thunder Thighs. Nice, thunderously strong, thighs – and for probably the first time in my entire life I appreciate them.
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Posted by 21st Century Mom.
Filed under Cycling, Health, Monday Monday, training
Posted on Tue, 20 January 2009 at 4:14 am
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Rock on 21CM. You kicked TGD’s butt.
20 Jan 09 at 4:20 am #Like you, I am getting used to having the big quads. Too bad mine came with 50 year old man but though.
i emailed you this morning. tell me if you got it. i worked on your template all weekend and emailed you things. over and over.
check your spam for me. see if i went there. my email is disappearing to people.
i forgot to log out for a while so i looks like you commented on your own blog.
20 Jan 09 at 12:32 pm #rock on! that’s fantastic!
you know what else is fantastic? we’re getting a new president today and I’m gonna be there!
20 Jan 09 at 12:37 pm #check you out!! that’s awesome! I remember that ad too – I thought it was great.
20 Jan 09 at 2:14 pm #woot! good for you, p! mine may not fit in jeans, but they look good in bike shorts and dang, i live in arizona, so who needs jeans anyway???
20 Jan 09 at 2:51 pm #Great post. Hollywood would have you believe that rail thin, untoned legs are the rage. Not so. A healthy, muscular leg will also turn the most heads.
Great art work on that poster.
20 Jan 09 at 6:19 pm #I have thunder thighs too. Always have, and I a proud of it.
21 Jan 09 at 7:33 pm #All the way up Diablo in the middle chain ring?! That’s awesome. Way to go.
26 Jan 09 at 4:08 am #It’s good to hear people be proud to have thunder thighs. It’s always better to poke fun of yourself rather then dwell about it.
02 Feb 09 at 9:09 pm #Who said anything about poking fun? I’m celebrating. I have strong legs and I like it.
Thanks for stopping by to show your skinny bias!
02 Feb 09 at 9:18 pm #I love that ad campaign! And yay for your strong thunder thighs that take you up mountains. That is fantastic!
04 Feb 09 at 3:45 pm #Them some FANTASTIC THUNDER THIGHS
12 Nov 09 at 7:29 pm #