Who doesn't want just another 5 minutes in bed?

Who doesn't want just another 5 minutes in bed? When you want to get up early enough for a run who doesn't want an extra hour in bed? I have a plan (because consciousness should never be a bad thing and should be actively encouraged).

I have turned my laptop into my alarm clock. To wake me up I have a Youtube playlist consisting of the following:

• Survivor: Burning Heart. The name may not mean anything to you but it is the best song in Rocky 4 (Rocky 4 is the greatest of the Rocky films. The is no argument, not even a discussion ." I win for me, for ME!")
• Elbow: One day like this. This is the perfect track to feel generally uplifted. "So throw those curtains wide. One day like this'd see me right". The strings are beautiful.
• You're the best: Commuter. Again, you might not recognise the names but its the music from the competitions in The Karate Kid. Anyone in their 30's would understand these choices!
• Man up: Book of Mormon. Greatest musical ever (parental advisory). A musical written by the guys who write South Park and musically directed by Robert Lopez, the guy who did Avenue Q (the adult, musical version of Sesame Street). Youtube it. It is awesome and Man up is the complete 'musical' song.BTW I Believe is also great. 

There is another source from which I take my inspiration. An answer was given in my beloved Fighting Talk in the first Champion of Champions episode. The awesome Bob Mills was on fire (went on to win the title) and I will set the scene. 

The question posed was "What makes a champion a great champion". Dougie "husky voiced" Anderson kicked off the answers with "consistency". It was a good, solid answer backed up with examples citing Phil Taylor, Nicklaus, Hendry and Navratilova. 

Martin Kelner (Wish him well. His blog is awesome http://www.martinkelner.com/ ) then waged in with "class". Roger Federer was his noble example.

And now the meat. Bob Mills came in and disagreed with both consistency and class. He disagreed, in effect, with the system that made these great sportspeople great ("no-one came here for a lecture on communism"). 

The following gets me up in the morning, got me through many miles of the Thames Meander, will continue to get me through many other moments. 

"There's one person I called champ and I shook his hand, said 'Hello, champ', and that's Lloyd Honeyghan. 

because to me, a champ, is someone who gets ONE moment. He gets one chance and he GRASPS it. 

Lloyd Honeyghan; he was a two-bob boxer, he's alright, he's a two-bob boxer and he went there and he saw Don Currie who was the best pound for pound fighter in the world and he thought 'TONIGHT, I'm gonna box your ears off, sunshine. And if NOTHING else ever happens to me in my life, tonight will be MY night. Tonight I WILL be the champion'. 

And I think to most that's what a champion is. Yes, of course Arnold Palmer and consistency and class but just ONCE. Grabbing it. And saying 'Tonight, this is mine. I'll lose it tomorrow, but tonight, I'm the champion"

It loses something in my text transcript. Go to http://www.anton.co.uk/fighting/files/2010-05-22_Murray_Rawling,Mills,Anderson,Kelner_Champions_of_Champions.mp3

At about 20 mins in you'll get it. When you listen to it you'll understand. I well up and psyche up in equal quantities.  

You may understand why I can get up early.