I no longer had the sport that had come to define a good portion of my identity for 17+ years. When work started up after a few months off, I did not return to the routines of an athlete. It was that quick. I occasionally found the energy to workout (maybe a few times a month) and an adult soccer league to pass the time. But I did not find it satisfying.

I started doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) about 2 years ago, and ended up leaving after about 6 months. The experience of being flipped around, choked out, and having various limbs threatened with extreme force wasn't exactly my favorite…