GADGETS BOUGHT. BUT THE FOUNDATIONS ARE MISSING.

Kilian Jornet recently wrote an article about the future of mountain running. He laments the direction of its development and the fact that "true trail running" is disappearing.

It's a bit ridiculous, I admit. Because Kilian was part of that professionalization. And when he stopped liking UTMB and Salomon, he left and now he's bombarding the world with more shoes and jackets under his own brand. Because he has to make a living somehow.

But I totally agree with him on one thing.

We lack focus on the fundamentals. We give way too much to gadgets and the latest trends.

I see it every day.

Someone asks me about infrared recovery protocols but gets five hours of sleep. Someone searches for the latest protein supplement but eats mostly processed junk. Someone buys a five-thousand-dollar watch to measure HRV and then ignores what it shows.

We're flooding Strava with fantastic results on "runs" that we run too fast. The heart rate drift is off, but the pace is good, so it's showing up on the feed. There are likes, but no adaptation.

Building a base in silence and toil? Boring. Nothing to brag about. Nobody posts stories from the run in the first zone, where you can barely move.

And the truth is, 99% of your potential comes from exactly that. From basic, individual, ineffective training below your aerobic threshold. From recovery that no one sees. From sleep that isn't sexy.

Kilian writes that more gadgets will come. Continuous lactate monitoring. Respiratory sensors. Technology will accelerate. And with it will come the hype of shiny products that we will buy without any idea how to interpret them.

And he's right. They will come. We will buy. And we will continue to neglect what truly matters.

Without a foundation, additions are pointless.

Because as humans, we love quick fixes. We love to think that one gadget will transform us into better athletes. That all we have to do is buy it, put it on, and swallow it.

All you need to do is get enough sleep. Eat well. Run slowly. Regenerate—give your body time to adapt.

Gadgets come and go. The foundations remain.

What about you? What did you buy recently instead of just getting some sleep?

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