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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.
21st-century-mom.com 
Rock on 21CM. You kicked TGD’s butt.
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.
rock on! that’s fantastic!
you know what else is fantastic? we’re getting a new president today and I’m gonna be there! 🙂
check you out!! that’s awesome! I remember that ad too – I thought it was great.
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??? 😉
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.
I have thunder thighs too. Always have, and I a proud of it.
All the way up Diablo in the middle chain ring?! That’s awesome. Way to go.
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.
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!
I love that ad campaign! And yay for your strong thunder thighs that take you up mountains. That is fantastic!
Them some FANTASTIC THUNDER THIGHS