I will still look at k1/Muay as well though. I automatically assumed the sudden burst nature of striking sports would be more injury prone than the slower tactical nature of BJJ, but as I’ve never done either I am completely knowledgeless.
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Interesting topic.
I just quit cycling for the last two months for golf. I didn’t intend to quit cycling but it just happened. I was finding less time for it and then too tired to jump on the indoor trainer after being at the golf course for 2-3 hours.
Not beer golf but training and playing 6 hours a week and mentally working hard to improve my game. I’ve got all sorts of new non-cycling muscles in my upper body now. My scores have fallen from 100 to low 80s in four months. (I used to be a good golfer decades ago but have been away from it and my swing had fallen apart.)
It was kind of nice to not think about cycling so much and be obsessed about something new.
It’s winter now. I’m still playing and hitting balls but I’ve climbed back aboard the indoor trainer to build fitness for the spring. I don’t seem to have lost too much.
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2025 was similar for me. Having retired and getting into a golf club, we maximized time on the course. While I didn’t stop cycling altogether, frequency and intensity dropped considerably. My handicap did drop by 6 at my best point of the season.
Cycling effects showed up in a humbling way in late summer when my 28 year old son visited. While I hold no misconceptions about keeping up to him anymore, he simply blew me out of the water. I finished last winter’s season at around a 215-220 FTP at 68-69kg and 49 VO2. Riding, I had decent endurance but couldn’t hold a steady 160-170W and simply couldn’t turn it up on hills of any length. I can only guess my FTP probably dropped to 175-170 and VO2 was 45 (Garmin)
Golf season ended and returning to indoor cycling 4x a week and 2 mobility/strength session, after 6 weeks back at a 220 FTP (riding not a ramp test) and VO2 sitting between 50 and 51. Consistent routine, including rest, protein instead of carbs since I’m 58, and adding some body/light weight strength seems to be making the difference. Losing a couple of kg will come later.
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The great thing about golf is that you can suck pretty bad and still hit some nice shots out of dumb luck (pretty much describes my game). But it’s also great that it’s basically impossible to master (the curve gets really steep in a hurry once you get decent).
I took up rowing in 2024 and it’s been a great change up from cycling. And similar to golf, it’s not too hard to learn the basics and have some fun, but I’m still so far away from being proficient that it’s a constant challenge and learning.
And I bought a remote control helicopter last year and started learning how to fly it (because I’m too cheap and risk averse to actually pursue a pilot’s license). Sure, it’s just a toy, but a toy with a very steep learning curve once you move beyond a basic hover (it’s not like modern drones or the cheap toy helicopters that fly themselves). Takes some serious re-wiring of the brain to get proficient. My old brain needs it’s exercise, trying to keep taking on new hard things…
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I’m caring less about cycling. I’ve always been a roadie and we moved to a smaller area with not the greatest roads nor a good bike club with a group ride.
I also lost the ability to hit a trail .25 miles from my house. I used to ride a ton of gravel when we lived in NM. I’m just not inclined to drive 30-40 minutes to do a nice ride. I probably should make the effort like once a month.
Also at 59yo, my best cycling is behind me. I was probably at 300-350 watts in my 20s. In recent years I hit 250 but it took an enormous amount of effort. I get to 215-225 pretty easily but any gains after that come at a huge cost.
I was a mediocre golfer in high school but in my twenties got good enough to shoot in the 80s with a singular, magical 74 on my record.
With golf, even at my age, I feel like I have the potential to be better than I ever was in my youth so it gives me motivation to work on it. In 2025 there is so much more assistance and technology available that if one doesn’t improve, it’s because they don’t want to. My near term goal is to shoot in the 70s with some regularity and play in a league next year.
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Update time.
It’s been a couple year since I posted this and I see there is some new activity. How quickly time flies.
In short, I haven’t returned to cycling…yet. I put on around 300 miles in 2025 with some random Zwift rides and a few spins around my favorite gravel routes. It is still fun to ride gravel, just takes a back seat to my other obligations.
A little motivation for those who might be stuck in an unfulfilling corporate career like I was. My career change into running a business continues to grow, quickly. In fact, I now serve on several boards and am paid to present at conferences to teach others my methods. The financial success is pretty welcome but honestly I don’t have time to spend anything yet. The real win is that I wake up and know I’ll be in charge of how to approach the day and who I will help. No more sitting in a meeting room and having a boss criticize the font chosen for a PowerPoint. My confidence and self-worth was almost gone. I had random medical episodes (that I later learned were panic attacks) when out to eat or working in the garage.
Take the leap. You might feel you are not ready. That is likely because someone else has always been in charge and they do things differently but NOT necessarily better than you would. You just have different strengths. This is your sign to do it.
Try not to quit cycling when making a life change though. I wish I would have designated twice a week to ride. Whether that turned into a 20 minute zone 4 or simply 3 hours enjoying the gravel.
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That’s awesome, congrats. My leap was deciding to retire early and give up the comfort of a predictable salary (and knowing how tough it would be to re-enter the workforce if needed after my skills declined). In multiple ways, it was scarier than some of my past career moves. Zero regret and whenever I have lunch with some of my old co-workers, that’s all I need to remind me how lucky I am.
Multiple flashbacks there. That kind of crap used to drive me absolutely insane. Forrest for the trees….
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Just a quick question, the algorithm has started showing me bjj people with staph infections and mrsa (it must clearly know my phobia of infections). Are these as common as it is making out? I know ringworm is kind of common?
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I mean, it can happen in any grappling sport. I never had it in the 4ish years I trained.
Rule number one is to be extremely diligent about your own hygiene. Shower as soon as possible after class, wash all your gear (including your belt) ASAP after class, and wear flipflops/sandals when off the mats in the gym. Only clean bare feet on the mats.
Do not train if you have open cuts, sores, etc as these are entry points for infection. Decline to roll with anyone who has open cuts/sores.
I think you see more pros with staph because they’re on the mats 10 to 20 hours a week. It’s their job to be on the mats professionally and it’s not too surprising that they get it eventually.
Stay off the mats if you get a cut/sore and if it doesn’t heal up quickly, or starts to look worse, go see a doctor ASAP.
The gym has a responsibility to keep the mats clean and to mop them/clean them after every class. If they’re not doing that it’s a red flag and you should look for another gym.
Again, I went to a gym that kept the mats clean, I kept myself and my gear clean, and it was never a problem.
If I only got pics of road rash and results of bike crashes in my feed, I’d probably never ride, LOL!