Strava

Highly committed runners have much higher levels of narcissism than less committed ones. That's what I learned from Jason Karp who wrote The Inner Runner. He is right that running can sometimes be an experience of egoism.

Am I narcissistic? Well, I don't know. It's hard to say but there's a good chance that I am.

If there is one thing I know about my addiction with runner's narcissism more than a VO2 max number, it is that I joined Strava soon after my friend's recommendation and run with this digital app eagerly. Why am I drawn to this new toy? Most runners would agree with me that running lifts our spirits. Even more so, when we can upload a run on social media, being recognized by dopamine rush of receiving "likes."

Hold your horses - there is a lot more. Instead of "like" (as what you find in Facebook), Strava's currency of approval is called "kudo" - a surefire way to give us feelings of grandiosity. Not only does running give pleasure in the moment but also reward after an upload, which down the road will itself lead to enviable kudos.

Miles after miles, kudos after kudos, we all narcissists should love it. At least to me.