Does anyone every feel this way????

[rocknrollgirl]

Thank you all so much for your feedback. I was judging myself very harshly over feeling this way. You have made me feel better.

I am not crazy!!!! Well, maybe a little nuts.....

[Bike Chick]

No, Rock, don't judge yourself. You have put a lot of work into this and it's a personal thing. It's great that you have the support but if they really support you, they will respect your wishes. I don't think it's selfish at all. It's nice having your own cheering section but when I'm suffering and pushing myself, I really want to be left alone in my own little zone. Everyone is different.

[Tuckervill]

I don't race but there are other things that I do that I don't want company. One of the reasons is because I want to be completely selfish about what I'm doing, and I don't want to coordinate with anyone else's schedule, and I don't want to have to take care of anyone else's emotions while I'm dealing with my own. I want to be able to focus on me and my issues. I don't need any interaction that probably would distract me from my focus. A supportive helper that is there to meet my needs, I'll take that sometimes. Someone who is thinking about where we're going to eat after, or tell me how they didn't like the porta-potties, not so much. I'm just protecting my emotional space.

Some people don't feel this sort of empathy or can block it out. When I need to be alone, I can't do it in my room. I have to get away from anyone else that I care about, because I can "feel" them in the house, am afraid the whole time they will interrupt my thoughts, or whatever. Sometimes I need the connection to be broken.

Karen

[northstar]

I get it. Totally. For me, it's because the races I do are personal challenges to myself that have nothing to do with anyone else. It's like it's my fight to fight, you know? And I don't really want anyone watching or cheering or making the experience something it's not. Glad I'm not the only one who feels this way sometimes.