Blisshood: How did you get the idea of running the 2018 Paris marathon?

Cindy Castronovo: Actually, it wasn't my idea (laughs), it was my husband's.

My dream was to do the NY Marathon and my husband told me "I will pay for you to do the NY marathon if you finish the Paris Marathon, first". This was the first time I would run a marathon, but I told him "OK, let's do it". So, I started to train and then...I found out I was pregnant. So, I had to stop training. There are some women that choose to run the marathon even being pregnant, but it wasn't my case.

My husband kept training and he completed a marathon and a triathlon in the meantime. In 2017, once our baby girl was a little older and I could get back to running, my husband surprised me with an email...the subject line was "Here is your number for the 2018 marathon". He signed me up because he knew it was something I really wanted to do and that I had to stop due to getting pregnant.

Blisshood: What do you tell yourself when it is raining or snowing and you still go out to run? I mean, what is your inner dialogue? 

Cindy Castronovo: Training under extreme conditions  such as snow and pouring down rain [see video below] requires mental strength. But, I believe it is a type of strength we all have...if there is something you absolutely love doing such as running or biking and I tell you "let's do a 20 kilometers race" and you love biking, you will do it, because it really motivates you.

My inner dialogue is "Cindy, if you don't train, you won't be able to accomplish your goal and you won't be able to run until the end". 

Your story on training for the Paris Marathon was featured on the Huffington Post, how did this collaboration happen?

Cindy Castronovo: It was through a friend. The Huffington Post was looking for people that were running a marathon for the first time...And that was also a huge motivating factor for me to keep going! And then, Asics came and we also did a collaboration.

Blisshood: How did Asics support you? As a sponsor?

Cindy Castronovo: They provided running outfits and shoes. 

Blisshood: Going back to the notion of mental strength, do you think there are some similarities between life and running a marathon--in terms of preparation? What has running taught you about life?

Cindy Castronovo: Yes, there are similarities. Running has taught me patience.  You need to think "Where are you headed? How far are you willing to go?" Everything is decided by your mindset. My legs couldn't take it anymore after running 32 kilometers but my head was like "Keep going, let's go, let's go". 

Blisshood: So, what I'm hearing is the fact that you cannot reach an objective without patience, without preparation, without determination, without giving it your all

Cindy Castronovo: Exactly!

There will be no results if you don't have a clear vision of where you want to go in life.

Blisshood: What would you tell a mom that wants to run a marathon but says "I would love to do it, but I know I can't". So, they just accept this "I cannot do it" statement as true.

Cindy Castronovo: I would tell her that if there is a will there is a way. I have a coworker that knew I was about to run the Paris marathon and she download the Decathlon app. She started to run, kept training and is now able to complete 5 km races. 

Blisshood: Finally, what is the moment during a typical day when you feel the most blissful?

Cindy Castronovo: When I am having the apéro with my husband in our terrace and the kids are around, it is a relaxing family moment.