Every time we change the calendar year, people take some time to reflect on the year that was. For me, 2011 was both equal parts challenging and rewarding. One particular day/event perfectly depicts both of those sentiments. The day: Sunday, November 6. The event: the ING New York Marathon. Months of training, hard work, and POUNDS UPON POUNDS of pasta had all led up to what would prove to be the most challenging 268 minutes of my life. I won’t bore you with the details of the run, but the weather was absolutely perfect and I had the pleasure of running it with one of my best friends, Jeff Kaufman. As Elite’s owner Mike Walter can attest, the feeling of accomplishment when you cross the finish line is really beyond words and will be a moment I’ll remember forever. Now I told you that story to tell you this story…

A few months earlier, on Saturday, August 13th, I had the privilege of performing at Lauren & John’s wedding reception at the Eagle Oaks Country Club in Farmingdale, NJ. It’s easily one of the most beautiful banquet facilities in the entire state. As far as the reception goes, it was one of the highlights for me as a DJ last year. Not only was the crowd absolutely amazing and on the dance floor LITERALLY all night, but John and Lauren were one of the coolest couples I had the pleasure of working with. During the best man’s toast, John’s brother mentioned that Lauren and John had run a marathon together the previous year. So right after all the intros were over, I went up to Lauren & John and just started chatting them up about their experience and asking for any pointers or advice since my first marathon was a mere 3 months away. As I mentioned, the rest of the night was about as flawless as could be and we said our goodbyes and they embarked on what I’m sure was an incredible honeymoon.

Fast forward almost 2 months. I get a piece of mail on October 4th (and I know this because I still have the email I sent to Lauren & John that day). It was a card to say thank you for helping make their big day so special and it ended with “…best of luck at the marathon!” Inside was a bumper sticker with the number “26.2” on it, representing the distance of a full marathon. Such a simple gift and statement, but I was absolutely blown away. We talked for maybe 4 minutes about the marathon, and the fact they remembered and even sent me a little something about it was truly special. It’s couples, weddings, and moments like this that make what I do truly rewarding and special.