Recently, I joined the modern age and switched from a BlackBerry to an iPhone 4s.  It has taken some time to adjust to the new operating system, but you can definitely do a lot more with the iPhone.

In addition to its advanced features, the iPhone also provides access to a wealth of applications.  One of my interests was finding a good GPS run tracker.  The App Store happens to offer several free run tracking application options.  Given the choices, I decided to test four different free applications to evaluate which run tracker to use.

iMapMyRun - First up was iMapMyRun.  I really wanted to like this application, as I knew other iPhone users who run with it.  In comparison to other applications, though, I thought it fell somewhat short.

• Access - You can’t just activate iMapMyRun and use it without creating a login name and password.  Logging in through Facebook is possible, but you still need to go through the process and can’t just immediately use it.
• Features - The free version has a nice looking interface, with icons for routes, past workouts and even a feature on nutrition.  It’s also pretty easy to start a workout (touch “Record Workout” and then “Start”).
• Results - The workout detail has an easy-to-read summary with your start time, end time, duration, distance and pace.  You can also check out your route on the map.  There is, however, no feature for your splits to see how you fast you were going per mile.  As far as accuracy, it tends to add a little bit to your route as mapped by Google Maps.  A route that was mapped as 11.6 miles on Google was recorded as 11.8 miles on iMapMyRun.  Another 11.7 miles “on paper” route came up as 11.92 miles.

RunKeeper - RunKeeper also came recommended by a running friend. It has a simple look and yet has many of the features I seek.

• Access - No need to log in or log out unless you’re looking to upload your stats to an account.  You can upload the application and use it immediately.
• Features - There are only three options on the main screen: Start, Activities and Settings.  Really, do you need much else?  On the Start Page, you can specify your activity type and even set up a music playlist.  Be warned though: there’s no default countdown when you hit the start button.  Make sure to schedule it on Settings.  Also, there’s audio cues given during your run when you hit a distance (per mile) or time (10 minutes) standard.
• Results - The results page gives you your time, average speed calories and mileage.  Additionally, it has really detailed statsistics of your speed at each minute of your workout.  The time splits at each mile are also provided.  Accuracy, which has been the subject of some concern by other users, is a little bit of an issue.  A mapped workout on Google of 5.1 miles came up as 5.31 miles.  I’d like to think I wasn’t weaving back and forth that much over a short distance.

Endomondo - I actually had Endomondo as my tracker on my BlackBerry though I never used it too much.  I think it was probably an issue with picking up the GPS signal or something.  No such issue with the iPhone.

• Access - You’re given the choice to sign up, log in or have the application “Remind Me Later.”
• Features - The main page is the Workout page, so you can pretty much start up with a basic workout as soon as possible.  There’s a choice between starting immediately or using a countdown.  As far as I know, however, there was no option for an accompanying music playlist unless you started one manually.  Audio cues provide your time splits per mile.
• Results - Your workout results are divided up into a map, data and splits.  What I did like about the map was that it wasn’t as “messy” as other maps.  The data page provides the distance, duration, average speed, max speed, calories, and elevation change.  Splits per mile are provided, with a notation of your fastest (a hare icon) and slowest (tortoise icon) mile splits.  Also, the accuracy was pretty spot-on.  A 1.0 mile segment on Google was recorded as 0.99 miles (probably on account of me cutting a corner).  The 2.5 mile mark also was recorded as scheduled.  The only thing I wish it had was actual mile markers on the map.

Runtastic - No one I know uses this application, but I saw it online, so I wanted to give it a try.  Pass.

• Access - The login page provided you with the option to log in, sign up, use your Facebook account or create an account later.
• Features - On the workout page, there’s option for history, portal, settings and to upgrade.  There’s a lot of numbers on the page surrounding the “Start Session” button in the middle.  But even after you touch “Start,” you then need to choose the type of activity.  Then, once you press start again, there’s a default 15 second countdown.  That’s all good and well, except that if you touch the screen during the countdown, the workout immediately starts.  I also did not like the mechanism to pause or stop a workout.  Rather than simply touching a button, you have to actually slide your finger across, as if you were unlocking your phone.
• Results - When you finally get the application working properly, the results come out in a nice presentation.  You’re provided with a wealth of data, including duration, distance, elevation gain, max speed, calories, average speed and average pace.  The map also shows you the location of each mile.  Splits provide your pace, speed and elevation change during that mile.  There’s even an altitude chart.  You can also enter your own notes, feelings and weather on the run workout.  That’s a nice option.  Accuracy was not great.  What was supposed to be a 12.0 mile workout was recorded as 12.32 miles.

So, overall, accuracy was more of an issue for these applications than I thought it would be.  I found Endomondo and RunKeeper to be the best of the bunch, but that’s for my own needs.  I’m sure the other applications may be more suitable to others.

The Alström brothers established BA as a way for beer enthusiasts to connect, support and promote good beer.  In addition to general beer discussions through its forum, the website provides a pretty comprehensive database of beer reviews and ratings.  If you’re visiting another city and looking for bars serving good beer, the BA website also features reports and reviews of bars and other places of interest.  Its motto is “Respect Beer,” which is simple and yet a great way to live life.

On occasion, BA goes on the road to check out the local flavor.  Previous trips have included the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado as well as two prior visits to Philadelphia.  This trip’s rather ambitious itinerary included drinking beers at Grey Lodge Pub in Northeast Philly, Jose Pistola’s and Monk’s in Center City, Earth Bread + Brewery in Mt. Airy, Farmers’ Cabinet in Midtown Village and Khyber Pass Pub in Old City – all from noon to about 10 p.m.  Fortunately, there was no need for a designated driver.  As soon as they landed and checked into their hotel, they put away the keys to their rental cars and are depending on cabs to get from place to place. The BA crew liked the scene at Grey Lodge, which features a mix of neighborhood patrons and craft beer drinkers.  While at Grey Lodge and Pistola’s, they enjoyed some of local beers, such as Dock Street and Sly Fox.  At Monk’s, where I met up with them, BA took advantage of the phenomenal beer selection of beers not commonly found elsewhere.  Some ordered the Mikkeller Red/White Christmas beer, while others took part in the Russian River Damnation on tap.

BA Magazine managing editor Courtney Cox believed that the Philadelphia craft beer scene was bigger than that of Boston, describing her hometown beer environment  as much smaller than here.  Indeed, she envied the distribution of Russian River and Bell’s to this area.

On Thursday, BA continues its road trip down to Dogfish Head in Delaware.  Dogfish Head collaborates with BA to brew a specialty beer for BA’s Extreme Beer Festival, which is held every February.

Perhaps its claim to fame is that Marra’s has been in business and serving pizza since 1927.  That’s before any current Philadelphia restaurant (including Tacconelli’s, which is older but did not start making pizza until the 1940s). Marra’s has a couple of dining areas, with the front dining room comprised of booths.  There’s a big menu of veal, pasta, shrimp and chicken dishes along with pizza.  In addition to the eleven set pizza selections, you can also choose your own toppings à la carte.  Pizza, which is cooked in a brick oven, can be ordered in three sizes: “personal” (10 inches), “small” (14 inches) or “extra large” (18 inches)

The extra large Chicken Supremo pizza, topped with grilled chicken and prosciutto, is certainly enough for two with leftovers.  It has a pretty thick and heartier crust, though it was not super crunchy.  The pizza had ample prosciutto, which is probably the primary flavor.  The tomato sauce was not overwhelming and did not particularly stand out, but the cheese was quite good.  There was a slightly uneven distribution of the toppings, with almost all the prosciutto in middle and chicken on edge.  Regardless, the prosciutto was clearly of excellent quality.

Overall, Marra’s is a South Philadelphia Italian institution worth visiting, though next time, I’d like to sample the pasta to go along with the pizza.  If you go, try multiple dishes and plan on bringing home leftovers.

• Marra’s
• 1734 E. Passyunk Ave., Philadelphia
• 215-463-9249
• http://www.marrasone.com
• In a nutshell: Classic, old school Italian restaurant, serving oldest pizza in Philadelphia.

The race is a fantastic tour through the city.  Starting off on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, with many runners lining up by the Art Museum, you pass the Parkway museums, turn at Love Park, run by City Hall, go through Chinatown and by the Constitution Center, head south on Columbus Boulevard past Penn’s Landing including the Moshulu and U.S.S. Olympia, come back up South Philadelphia, head west on South Street and past Jim’s Steaks, go north back towards Old City, turn by the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, pass the throngs in Center City, take a trip through Penn and Drexel, go past the Philadelphia Zoo, climb up Fairmount Park near the Please Touch Museum, head back towards Center City on West River Drive, go back west on Kelly Drive by the river into Manayunk, and head back to finish on the Parkway.  That’s a pretty good sampling of the city.  It’s fast and relatively flat race, and, at least today, the weather definitely cooperated.

So what’s missing?  Well, despite its great elements, the Philadelphia Marathon is not considered a “major” marathon or a big draw for elite athletes (such as the ones you see winning the Boston, Chicago, New York City and Olympics marathons).  As many veteran marathoners of other cities know, the marathon also has a relatively low scale expo and meager post-race food and refreshments (think bananas, chicken stock soup and oranges).  The primary reason, of course, is that there are not significant sponsors, including no title sponsor, of the race.  The lack of sponsorship also affects the prize money, which draws the big name runners.  Here’s a comparison of prize money for men and women from several marathons:

• New York City – $130,000 for first
• Boston – $150,000 for first, $800,000 total prize money
• Chicago – $75,000 for first, $450,000 total prize money
• Baltimore – $23,000 for first, $14,000 for second
• Philadelphia – $3,500 for first, $19,500 total prize money

Compared to other marathons, that’s not a lot of incentive for elite athletes.  Yes, the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC does not offer prize money, but that race has its own special draws.

The point is that the race offers a lot of great things.  Race organizers should do a better job presenting its features to potential sponsors (ahem, Comcast), who could then draw elite runners and make the race even better.

On Saturday morning, I went over to Sidecar Bar and Grille for its “Let’s Do Breakfast with Founders” event, which was run in conjunction with the Craft Beer Express.  With the bar opening at 10:30 a.m., one would reasonably believe that getting there at around 10 a.m. would be quite early enough.  Wrong.  By 9:15, over an hour before the event, there were already twenty people in line.  By 10 a.m., the line was seventy deep.  To wait in line to drink beer on a nice Saturday morning.

Of course, it wasn’t just any regular beer.  Founders, a relatively small brewery based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is one of the most well-respected breweries in the world.  It only brews about 30,000 barrels yearly, but its entire lienup is highly regarded in the beer drinking community.   Fortunately, Pennsylvania is one of the sixteen states to which it distributes.  And while Founders has a nice selection of beers available year round, it also has special, limited release beers that draw beer enthusiasts like opening day sales of new versions of iPhones. 

The big draws on Saturday morning were Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS), an imperial stout currently rated by Beer Advocate as the 4th best beer in the world; Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS), another top imperial stout; and Blushing Monk, an extremely rare Belgian strong pale ale.  CBS, in particular, is so limited in distribution that Sidecar gave out tickets at 10 a.m. for its 55 pours.  The tickets ran out before the end of the line, leading to several disappointed people actually leaving the line to plan to go to another bar on the Craft Beer Express. 

For those fortunate enough to be there when the bar opened, the beers were well worth getting up early to get in line.  The CBS, which ran after the tickets were used, is an amazing tasting stout.  It features a blend of coffees and imorted chocolate and is aged in spent bourbon bottles.  At 10.6 percent ABV, CBS packs quite a punch.  The taste is both rich and complex.  There is no doubt it’s one of the best beers in the world. 

The KBS soon followed the CBS in being kicked.  It’s similar to the CBS  in its quality and taste with its coffee and chocolate flavor.  The aroma is amazing, and it is a beer to savor. 

As far as the Blushing Monk, it completely contrasts the stouts with its fruity, raspeberry flavor.  It’s very smooth, and despite the 9.2 percent ABV, I could probably drink the beer all day. 

What’s remarkable is that special beer releases such as this Founders event happen with some relative frequency in Philadelphia.  Russian River Brewing, a California brewery which produces some remarkable beers, distributes to California, Oregon, Colorado, Washington and one location in the East Coast: Philadelphia.  Every spring, several area bars obtain the extremely limited Pliny the Younger, rated the No. 1 beer in the world by Beer Advocate, leading to advance ticket sales.  Then, of course, during Philly Beer Week in the summer, bars featuring special events are packed. 

We should count our blessings that we have access to such terrific beers.    

The Philadelphia food truck/cart scene has definitely taken leaps and bounds forward.  While it still has a ways to go to come close to the variety and quality of the New York, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon vendors, there’s been much progress.  Just a few short years ago, we were, more or less, limited to long-standing, stationary trucks parked in University City and Temple and relatively average carts in Center City.  There were no Twittering trucks announcing their location and presence to their followers.  Food trucks were notably absent from Center City.

Thankfully, things have gone up and up.  New food trucks and carts have popped up, including roving ones.  The variety and quality have vastly improved, with cupcake trucks, a taco truck from an Iron Chef, as well as other ethnic specialty foods.  Events such as the Night Market and Vendy Awards have also helped spotlight the scene.

And now, the next step in the evolution is the pizza food truck in Center City.  And not just any pizza, but wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pizza.  Pitruco Pizza recently made its debut, with a current rotation of two days at Love Park in Center City and two days in University City. The bright red roving operation is actually a trailer that includes the wood-fired stove in the rear.  Inside the truck is a well-oiled operation of five employees.  One person takes the order, the next prepares the dough, the third places the sauce and toppings, the fourth bakes and rotates the pizza while the fifth supervises and assists with serving the pizzas.  As I doubt the truck’s oven reaches 800+ degree temperatures, the pizza stays in the oven a tad longer than many brick and mortar wood-burning places, but you still get your food relatively quickly. 

Currently, there are six pizza choices, including Spicy Garlic, Margherita, Sausage, Eggplant and Radichio.  In one of the better bargains around, all the pizzas, which are roughly the size (though slightly smaller) of the standard Neapolitan pizza, are between $6.50 to $9. 

And the pizza itself?  Very good.  I had the Spicy Garlic, which contains red sauce, garlic and hot pepper, with the free addition of pecorino on it.  The pizza comes out with classic wood-fired marks and some bubbling on top.  The crust is light and airy.  It’s very soft and chewy but yet has substance so that the pizza doesn’t fold over.  Observing the upskirt also reveals an attractive char.  There was definitely a spicy quality to the pizza, and the garlic and hot pepper shine through.  I was quite satisfied with the meal.  It’s difficult to believe that a pizza of that quality can come out of a truck and for that affordable a price.      

Pitruco is scheduled for Love Park on Mondays and Wednesdays.  Last week, rain washed out the Wednesday appearance, but it tweeted on Friday that it was planning on popping up at Love Park for lunch.  Sure enough, there was a decent crowd there waiting to try the new truck.  Given its performance so far, let’s hope Pitruco shows up regularly regardless of the weather. 

• Pitruco Pizza
• Love Park/33rd and Arch
• https://twitter.com/#!/PitrucoPizza
• In a nutshell: Mobile food truck serving good, well-priced, soft Neapolitan-style pizzas.

Instead, there are multiple schools of thought on how to properly stay hydrated without being overhydrated.  In a recent New York Times piece, there’s a focus on avoiding drinking too much water, which could lead to the condition called hyponatremia.  Ingesting more fluid than you lose through sweating or urination could dilute your blood’s sodium levels, which could lead to serious, even fatal conditions.  Instead, the article cites recent guidelines from the International Marathon Medical Directors Association to recommend drinking only when you’re thirsty.

This advice probably goes against everything marathoners of all levels have heard.  Indeed, a HealthDay article from this weekend offers differing thoughts from a registered dietitian.  The recommendation was to stay properly hydrated and consume 16 to 20 ounces of water about 2 hours before the race, drink another 7 to 10 ounces of water 10 to 20 minutes before exercise, and take in about 6 to 8 ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise.  For activity of longer than an hour, there also should be consumption of a sports drink with 4 to 8 percent carbohydrates. 

In the end, it matters what works for you.  For me personally, I’ve tried drinking only when thirsty as well as drinking on a regular schedule and gotten dehydrated through both methods.  If anyone has a fail-safe method, I’m all ears.

As is well known, most regular grocery stores, such as SuperFresh, Acme and Genuardi’s, in Pennsylvania are not permitted to sell beer or other alcohol.  The majority of beer is, of course, sold in cases through beer distributors.  Many of these beer distributors now are permitted to sell beer on Sundays, but only after 12 p.m.   Beer can also be purchased in smaller quantities and with more expensive prices at convenience stores and delis.   On Sundays, these stores, like restaurants, are permitted by the state to sell beer only after 11 a.m.

Needless to say, the state’s alcohol laws are unnecessarily confusing.  It’s tough to keep track of the restrictions.  Take a trip sometime though other states to see how much simpler  it is to purchase beer.

Compression calf sleeves serve several purposes.  Their end goals are to allow you to run longer and recover quicker.  Generally, the compression sleeves support your calf muscles.  They improve blood flow to the muscles, allowing increased oxygen to the lower leg and alleviating lactic acide accumulation.  Compression sleeves  also stabilize and minimize muscle vibration.  Less muscle exhaustion and reduced risk of cramping result.  Even after a run, wearing the sleeves can speed up muscle recovery. They are also quite noticeable, with their sleek and flashy appearance.  Judging by their increased presence at races, compression calf sleeves are swiftly gaining in popularity.  The Salomon Exo IV sleeves I’ve purchased have worked well, and I highly recommend them to long distance runners.

Open since 1946, White House is well known to both old timer residents as well as newer generations of Atlantic City visitors.  The corner shop itself is not large and is an exercise in inefficiency.  There are about 10 booths, and those looking to sit down must stay outside the inner door until a waitress takes them to a table.  Those looking for take out can proceed inside to  the back, where they then stand around like stockbrokers waiting to place buy-sell orders.  For those looking to sit down at the counter, it’s a gray area whether you can go in and sit down without a waitress taking you there or not.  Somehow, this system has worked for about fifty years.

The menu features about 25 hot and cold subs, each at either a half or whole order.  Choices include Italian, cheesesteak, ham, chicken steak and even the cheeseburger sub.   Half orders are about 8-10 long and packed pretty full, so they are more than sufficient.  A nice touch is that a half order (typically around $6.45-$8.00) costs exactly half of a whole order.

Ordering a half order of a basic Italian sub is a good introduction to the White House experience.  The first noticeable aspect of the sandwich is the meat.  It’s quite substantial to the point that it’s folded twice to fit in into the bread.  Then there’s the bread.  It’s baked across the street by Formica Bros. Bakery, which supplies bread to quite a few Atlantic City sandwich shops.  The key with White House is that it can order and receive fresh break from Formica Bros. up to twelve times a day.  You’re guaranteed to have bread that’s been baked within the past couple of hours.

As far as the taste?  Simply delicous.  The bread is soft and does not have a crusty exterior.  In that way, it distinguishes from most Philadelphia hoagie shops.  The meat is extremely high quality, and White House prides itself on 80 percent fat-free Italian subs.  The cheese and vegetables are also fresh and fit well.  There’s a reason this place has thrived for so long and remains popular with lines out the door.

You may lose money gambling down in Atlantic City, but hitting up White House Sub Shop turns any A.C. trip into a winner.