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Patty Kim Bids Farewell

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PATTY KIM

Published: November 1, 2007

Remember when I nearly busted my, um, tailbone?

I was playing ultimate Frisbee at the time. I also was running a billion miles a week for my marathon training — and trying to work through the pain. And you got to read all about it.

You've also read about my being hypnotized to lower stress. You came along as I paddled, biked and ran my way through the Croom Crumbler adventure race. And more recently, you learned about my obsessive aversion to germs.

Good times.

Well, folks, I'm sad to say I'll soon be taking my crazy tales (tails?) of woe and heading over to the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, where I'll help spread the word about the mission to help treat, prevent and cure cancer.

I'll miss our weekly visits in 4you, but maybe we'll still run into each other at a race or some other event — or maybe at one of my favorite Bay area hangouts, some of which I've listed here:

Run This Way

The Running Center, 14308-E N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa

(813) 908-1960; www.runcenter.com

Brooks Adrenaline running shoes: $95.

Running group to get you motivated: Free.

Advice from veteran runner Bill Davison: Priceless.

When you pound the pavement as much as I do, you need good counsel, good shoes, and good accessories.

Make sure to ask for Davison, who opened the store in 1999. His experience and expertise are unparalleled. Tell him I sent you.

The Running Center recently moved a half-mile north to its new home, which is twice as big as the old place. There's room for 100 styles of running shoes, treadmills for gait analysis and $20 clinics covering everything from monitoring your heart to injury prevention.

A running group meets at 8 a.m. every Saturday to run a 3 1/2-mile loop behind the store. Don't be shy. New recruits are welcome.

Good Eats

Abby's Health Food, 14374 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa

(813) 265-4951

Looking for fresh, organic produce? Hungry for some quinoa tabouli? In need of gluten-free products?

Abby's Health Food provides an amazing selection for all your nutrition needs. I stumbled across this store in my search for gluten-free products. (I suspect I might be gluten intolerant.)

The thing is, if you can't tolerate gluten — found in wheat, rye and barley — you're pretty much in for a world of hurt. No more Kashi cereal. No more Arnold Natural Flax & Fiber bread. No more beer! Not to mention, you'd better watch what's in your salad dressings and soy sauce. Who knew?

Fortunately Abby's is a Mecca for gluten-free products. There also are supplements, a fresh food bar and cooking classes. Mmm.

Road Rules

Bayshore Boulevard

Every weekend until Jan. 13, I'll be running an insane number of miles in the wee weekend hours to prepare for P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon. Where will you find me hoofing it? Beautiful Bayshore Boulevard.

Bayshore boasts the world's longest continuous sidewalk — nearly 4 1/2 miles — lining Tampa Bay and the waterfront McMansions. Being on the water and having the option to run on grass are big draws for running guru Bill Ward of the Tribune.

But what really sets it apart are the bronze discs in the sidewalk marking every kilometer and half-mile along the route. Genius!

OK, if I'm running 18 miles, I don't zigzag the boulevard five times. I branch out from there, hitting Harbour and Davis islands and Interbay Boulevard.

But the sidewalk makes my run. There are rules (signs say stay to the right, pass on the left), drinking fountains, scenery, pooches, bikers, fisherman and roller-skating life-size cans of Red Bull (fans of my "Bring It" blog have heard this one). Word on the street is that the babe quotient is high, too.

The downers: "Virtually no shade, car exhaust, the occasional horrible fishy smell that is found near Bay to Bay, and the gnats that hatch and swarm on Bayshore each June," Ward says.

Go Gators!

Heads & Tails, 4524 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa

(813) 282-3783

You're either with the Florida Gators or you're Gator Bait. To get the best orange and blue merchandise, I'm willing to make the two-hour trek to Gainesville. But for a quick fix, check out Heads & Tails.

Warning: You'll have to contend with the equal opportunity garnet-and-gold merchandise and fans from that other school. But it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

In the meantime, pray that Tim Tebow survives the rest of the season.

Sweet Treats

La Casa Dolce Café, 406 S. Howard Ave., Tampa

(813) 259-0002; lacasadolcecafe.com

You can't be good all the time. And I've got one word for that: GELATO!

At La Casa Dolce, you've got flavors like Reese's Gelato, Cookies and Cream, and Mint Chocolate Chip. You also can get paninis, smoothies, coffee, wine, free Internet access and play board games.

You'll definitely never catch me in there with a colosso.

Ciao, 4you readers. I'll still be "bringing it" around town.

Keyword: Bring It, to check out Patty Kim's fitness blog and see what she's been up to.

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