It's a lonely road I run.

Are there any other men of precisely my age who have a deep, psychological, sexual/emotional connection to Animalympics?

I cannot remember exactly when this first aired on HBO. Wikipedia states it wasn't until 1984, but that cannot be correct, because I recorded the entire movie onto audio cassette (remember that, kids?) something I did for a few, select movies and only during late 1980 or early 1981.

Animalympics was seventh grade to me. Approaching thirteen. That makes all the sense in the world.

Originally created to be a series of animated vignettes to be played ruing the 1980 Olympics, only the winter sports scenes were broadcast on NBC because the summer games in Moscow were boycotted by the United States.

Cobbled together, it may not be the finest animated film ever made (and there one major, cringe-worthy Asian stereotype) but it is surprisingly successful at capturing the emotional arc of two whole weeks of Olympic competition, with a variety of interesting characters who come and go.

Before I even knew what a marathon was, my first sexual desire was for a shapely, African, Ultra-Marathon runner. A woman who could run 3,500 km – a fourteen-day course. She was an Egyptian Queen, with green cats-eyes, and sleek, short blonde hair covering her entire body. And she had a tail.
- from And Then You Die (How I Ran a Marathon in 26.2 Years)

The one storyline which carries through the entire program is the marathon. Two characters, a lion and a goat, keep pace with each other from the very start, and running in tandem, without saying anything to each other proves to induce a kind of Stockholm Syndrome, in which their professional antagonism mutates into obsession then helpless affection.

This can also describe how relationships in middle school function.

This video is everything.

The soundtrack had one run and has since been out of print. Why? You'd think Rhino or some other Gen X nostalgia factory would be all over this. Like the film itself, you can only find it on YouTube, posted by dedicated fans. I had to cobble together an album on my own using an online mp3 converter and it doesn't sound great.

Composed by 10cc frontman Graham Gouldman, the soundtrack is loaded with catchy earworms that make delightful athletic metaphors sound romantic and not at all dopey. Well, maybe a little dopey.

With you I can run forever
With you I can run forever, mm-hmm
'Cause you gotta be my inspiration
Side by side through every nation, mm-hmm

We ride the world just like a rollercoaster
As we take each road and we take each turn, you bowl me over
'Cause you gotta be my inspiration
Together we can run forever, mm-hmm

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Distance: 4 miles
Route: Cain Park Loop
Temperature: 72°
Climate: hot and bright
Weight: 166 lbs.
Mood: good

Today is my parents' wedding anniversary. My brother is in town from St. Paul, we're having dinner with Mom tonight. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day.

Animalympics - Graham Gouldman (1980)
Go For It
Underwater Fantasy
Away From It All
Born To Lose
Kit Mambo
Z.O.O.
Love's Not For Me
With You I Can Run Forever
We've Made It To The Top