I had pretty intense back pain for several years.

Not only did it prevent me from riding my bike, but it also prevented me from enjoying the ride.

I was consistently able to ride 10 miles, but my MS Bike team was out riding 40 or more miles each weekend.  I couldn’t seem to increase my mileage enough to have the courage to join them.  I complained to my husband that I simply did not enjoy riding anymore because of the pain and I thought I was going to give up the MS Bike Ride.

But then I realized that this was simply one of the manifestations of TMS – The Mindbody Syndrome that Dr. Sarno talks about in his books.  (If you are not familiar with this, read my blog posts here.) 

He taught that it is the fear of pain that actually keeps us trapped in the pain cycle and somehow we have to overcome that fear because (if you have TMS) there is nothing wrong with your (in my case) back. 

So, back on July 4th, 2021, I committed to meeting my team for a 46 mile bike ride.  I asked my husband to keep his phone on in case I needed to be picked up, just in case. 

My team was great, they waited for me on the long climbs as I was always the last one up and they always asked me if I needed to rest before continuing. 

It was amazing!  I did it.  I’m not going to lie, it was hard, after all it was a 400% increase in mileage.  And I was tired the next day, but I did it.  And the amazing thing is that my back didn’t bother me. 

My husband reminded me about the fact that I wanted to give up riding my bike back in June as I have been doing some very long, and very fun rides recently;  50 miles in Jim Thorpe, PA two weeks ago and the 65 mile Covered Bridges Classic in Lancaster weekend.  Proving that Dr. Sarno was right, there is nothing wrong with my back. 

But more importantly, pointing out how hard it can be to keep going.  It is very easy to give up, but it makes your life smaller and less worth living.  My riding and the lessons I learn about persistence in the face of struggle are important.  They make me want to continue to ride to support and help those who struggle with MS. 

Won’t you consider making a donation to help support research to help cure this debilitating disease? 

Also, contact me if you’d like help with your chronic pain, whether it is in your back, neck, shoulders, hips or knees.  If TMS worked for me, it can work for you.