Off to the wilds of Minnis Bay this morning for the first Kent Fitness League Cross Country race of 2017. Traditionally cold and usually wet , with the added flavour of the notoriously deep dykes full of marsh soup to negotiate ,  it turned out to be at it most benign with mild dryish conditions and zero breeze. Nowhere near the normal  level of general  mud round the six mile circuit and the aforementioned dykes were only about a third full. Not withstanding that I managed to sink into almost waist level in one – lucky not to lose one or both of my trusty Mudclaws. Having watched the Edinburgh XC elite events on the box yesterday made me wonder how they would unfold in terms of positions if they had to negotiate the equivalent of the world famous Minnis Bay XC dikes – for further sights and sounds to get the flavour just search on You Tube for” Kent Fitness League Minnis Bay”. Resisted the urge to do the usual wade into the North Sea for a “cold down” and a demudifying  afterwards –  perhaps if the dyke soup had reached above waist level. Great fun , great atmosphere and great support as usual from the Thanet Road Runner marshals round the course.