Covert started his streak on July 23, 1963, as a high school senior. In 1970 he was named the NCAA individual cross country champion, and he helped his California State University, Fullerton cross country team grab a NCAA Division II title the year after. In 1972, Covert placed 7th at the U.S. Olympic marathon trials.
We caught up with Covert, now a coach and teacher at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, California, to ask for his "streaking" tips. The following is an edited version of that interview:
Why did you start running every day?
I had no idea this was going to happen. The summer after I graduated, early in my freshman year of college, I realized I was in 100 days without missing one. I wondered if I could get a year in without missing. That became a little bit of a goal. That year turned to two, to three. At four or five years, I thought, this is a big deal.
I truly look forward to putting my shoes on every day... It's something that makes me feel better, something that in a lot of way is therapeutic -- not only physically but mentally. It's something I enjoy.
What's your running routine like?
I run in the morning; there's no real set time, just earlier in the morning. I usually run between 50 to 60 minutes. Some days I go shorter, some days I run 80 minutes.
I'm sure I don't run as fast as I used to. I tell people the trees pass me by real slow now, but that's ok. I'm still getting something out of it.
How do you fuel your run?
I eat nothing before I go run. I'm up for maybe half an hour, then go out the door. When I come back, I eat a regular breakfast -- oatmeal one day, toast with peanut butter and jelly another day. As I've gotten older, you try to eat a little bit better and little bit wiser.
Lunch, usually an apple and some almonds. Dinner is chicken, fish, a salad, vegetables. One of the things I struggle with is my weight. As I've gotten older... my weight has kind of crept up. That's a never-ending battle.
Do you struggle to drag yourself out of bed in the morning?
I don't have any problem getting out of bed in the morning. I have a sleep disorder, so I wake up early -- four o'clock.
Getting out the door and running for me has never been a problem. When I was younger, when I was in college, I was training for races and things like that and it was something I was committed to being the best I can be. As I've gotten older, it's something that's just ingrained.
Was there any day that you thought, 'I'm just not going to be able to run today'?
The two most recent ones -- 7 years ago I had surgery on my knee. The day after that was a challenge, but I was able to get out and get a mile in.
Fifteen months ago, I hurt my back. That was really a challenge because it was hard to walk, hard to bend over. I hurt it running and when I got back I went to the doctor and he was able to give me a little bit of relief. But the three or four days after that was really uncomfortable and painful.
I'm assuming your doctor told you not to run.
(Laughs). I've surrounded myself with great doctors over the years that have kind of bought into this craziness. They understand if they told me no I'd go out and try to do it anyway.
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