Inside My Gear Bag With Paul Matthews
Pro triathlete Paul “Barny” Matthews gives us a peek at his gear essentials.
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Pro triathlete Paul “Barny” Matthews has been racing triathlon since age 11 in his native Australia, where he quickly rose through the Australian Triathlon Junior ranks. Now based in Boulder, Colo., he stepped up to long-course triathlon a few years ago, when he finished the 2012 Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship in Melbourne in 8:05:58, the second fastest Ironman debut. Barny’s time between workouts is spent very differently these days: He and his wife, Hillary, welcomed their daughter, Emerson, into the world in December, two months after Barny finished 14th at the Ironman World Championship. He gave us a peek at his gear essentials.
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1 Smith Optics Lowdown sunglasses for casual wear ($209, Smithoptics.com) “I never leave home without a pair of sunnies.”
2 Aqua Sphere ErgoFlex Hand Paddles ($20, Aquasphereswim.com) “I use these every swim session.”
3 Lezyne CNC Travel Drive floor pump ($100, Lezyne.com) “I take it everywhere with me. Light, portable and pumps my tires up really easily.”
4 Adidas AdiZero Adios Boost 2.0 ($145, Adidas.com) “I love my new running shoes.”
5 Vegemite (Vegemite.com.au) “Nothing better than a couple slices of toast with Vegemite on it!”
6 JLab Epic Bluetooth Earbuds ($100, Jlabaudio.com)
7 Coca-Cola (Coca-cola.com) “Always need a nice, cold Coca-Cola during a long ride and after a hard day’s work!”
8 Smith Optics Pivlock Arena for training and racing ($159, Smithoptics.com )
9 Frosted strawberry Pop-Tarts (Poptarts.com) “I always have these before I race. I tried it once and I raced well after having them, so I’ve done it ever since.”
10 Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography ($15, Amazon.com) “The book I’m reading right now [about the former Manchester United Football Club manager], even though I’m a Liverpool supporter!”
11 FuelBelt Helium H2O ($50, Fuelbelt.com) “For Ironman, you always need to stay hydrated.”
12 Aqua Sphere P2K pull bUOy ($20, Aquasphereswim.com)
13 Marathon By Timex Strap Digital Sports Watch ($23, Target.com) “I’m not very fashionable! I bought a $20 Timex watch from Target that I use for most of my training. All it does is tell me the time and has a stopwatch.”