Hello World: Engineering a Sub-10 Ironman by 2027

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0900

Hi, I’m Ching Kuo. I live in Tokyo, work as an infrastructure engineer during the day, and train for triathlons in the evenings and on weekends.

I started this blog because I kept noticing how much overlap there is between the two. Collecting data, watching for warning signs, making adjustments before things blow up — that’s basically my job description, and it’s also how I approach training. Tri Labs is where I write about this process: the gear, the numbers, and what I’m learning along the way.

Goals

My long-term targets are straightforward:

2027: Finish a full-distance Ironman under 10 hours.
Within 5 years: Qualify for the Ironman World Championship in Kona.

That’s a steep climb from where I am now. But having clear targets makes it easier to structure training and measure progress — same as any other engineering problem.

Gear and Data

My Garmin watch and bike computer collect the raw data, Zwift handles indoor cycling, and everything feeds into TrainingPeaks for analysis. (Garmin’s running power data keeps inflating my TSS, so I still have to manually revert each session to hrTSS. Annoying, but not worth switching platforms over.)

For gear, I have no brand loyalty. I only write about things I bought with my own money and actually use. If you’re curious, I keep an updated Gear List.

Next Race: Miyako Triathlon

My next race is the Miyako Triathlon on April 19.

Last year I blew up on the run around the 15–30 km mark because I was too casual about hydration. This time, I’m focusing specifically on pacing and nutrition:

Carbs: Targeting 80–90 g/hour using Maurten and CALBOMB gels — I want to see how well that absorption rate holds up in race conditions.
Hydration and caffeine: Setting a strict schedule instead of winging it. No repeat of last year.

What’s Next

Going forward, this blog will cover race reports, honest gear reviews, and training data breakdowns.

If you’re into analyzing data and geeking out over gear, follow me on Strava or drop a comment about what you’d like to see reviewed first.

Gear on Tri Labs | Data & Endurance

Hello World: Engineering a Sub-10 Ironman by 2027

Goals

Gear and Data

Next Race: Miyako Triathlon

What’s Next