What a Banana Costume Taught Me About Gratitude

At the 2024 NYC Marathon, I learned something unexpected about gratitude. It was my third marathon of the month, so I decided to take it easy, giving myself permission to enjoy a "party pace" race (party pace refers to running at an easier pace than race pace), soaking in the city’s energy. In an effort to loosen up and let go of any performance pressure, I wore a banana costume. Little did I know that this playful outfit would be less of a hindrance and more of a psychological booster.

Typically, in my previous marathon attempts, I would hit the notorious "pain cave"—those brutal last few miles. However, with a relaxed goal of finishing around 3:30, something astonishing happened: I completed the marathon in 2:58. To put this in perspective, my previous NYC personal best was 3:27, and my last two marathons, where I’d aimed for time, were around 3:10 and 3:50.

The difference, I realized, was gratitude—specifically, extrinsic gratitude. This newfound connection to gratitude helped me stay present and energized, preventing my usual mental shutdown in the pain cave. After the race, I had a revelation: whether it's my ambition in medicine or the expectations instilled from my upbringing, I'm usually focused on what comes next rather than acknowledging the impressive things I’ve already achieved. Years of continuous pursuit and humility have dimmed my ability to praise myself. This “bananathon” taught me a crucial lesson: to survive the rigorous, emotionally taxing journey of medicine, I’ll need to start celebrating small victories along the way.

I've struggled with intrinsic gratitude, rarely giving myself credit without external validation. During the race, each time I heard cheers of “Go banana!” or “Go, banana man!” I felt a surge of energy. I would throw my fist in the air, fist-bumping the crowd as a way to thank these strangers. Their cheers not only pushed me forward but also made me realize the power of extrinsic gratitude: I was running for more than just myself.

This experience illuminated the deeper value of balancing intrinsic and extrinsic gratitude. While I’ve seen “gratitude” tossed around in wellness spaces, running in that costume gave me a firsthand understanding of its transformative power. I have a new goal: to work on developing intrinsic gratitude, recognizing and celebrating my wins — big and small.

From the author: My learnings about Intrinsic and Extrinsic gratitude