Dark Endurance Coaching

Big goals.
Full life.
A training plan built for both.

Personalized triathlon and endurance coaching for ambitious age-group athletes balancing career, family, and real-world demands — from a coach who lives the same reality.

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TrainingPeaks Level 2 Accredited Coach
IRONMAN University Certified Coach
USA Triathlon Level I Certified Coach
IRONMAN World Championship Finisher
Coaching available in English & 中文
Nick Hsieh, founder and head coach at Dark Endurance Coaching
Why I Coach

I understand what it means to pursue a big goal inside a demanding life.

I understand that "not enough time" is not always an excuse. Sometimes, it is a real constraint that must be solved.

Before coaching full-time, I spent thirteen years in international manufacturing operations and team leadership. I served as Vice President of Operations, General Manager, and Factory Manager in Cambodia and the Philippines, including responsibility for a manufacturing operation with a workforce of approximately 7,000 people. I ended that career in July 2026 to coach endurance athletes full-time.

On many workdays during those years, training began at three or four in the morning before I entered the factory at seven and faced a full day of operational decisions, team leadership, and family responsibilities.

I have also experienced business travel disrupting training, injury rehabilitation, difficult race days, and the reality that preparation is rarely perfect.

That is why I do not force a theoretically perfect plan into an athlete's life. I focus on building a plan that can actually be executed alongside work, family, stress, travel, and recovery.

A good plan is not the one that looks perfect on paper. It is the one an athlete can consistently execute in real life.
Read My Story →
Who This Is For

Who is Dark Endurance Coaching for?

Dark Endurance Coaching is for working adults — full-time professionals, parents, and frequent travelers — who have a clear race goal and need a training plan that fits around an unpredictable life, not the other way around.

  • You have a clear race goal but struggle to fit structured training into work and family life
  • You're putting in the effort but can't make consistent progress with limited time and no clear system
  • You want to understand your training data — heart rate, power, pace — not just follow a generic plan
  • You need a coach who listens, explains the reasoning, and adjusts when real life happens
  • You want preparation beyond fitness: pacing, power targets, nutrition, heat management, and race-day decision-making
How Coaching Works

How does online triathlon coaching work?

Step 01

We start with your life

Before planning your training, I learn about your work schedule, family commitments, training history, available equipment, injury history, current fitness, and race goals. Training fits your life — not the other way around.

Step 02

Your plan evolves every week

Training is reviewed through TrainingPeaks and adjusted based on execution, recovery, athlete feedback, travel, work demands, and changes in your schedule. Nothing stays static.

Step 03

We prepare for race-day execution

Coaching goes beyond fitness. We work on pacing, power targets, nutrition, heat management, equipment, transitions, and the decisions you need to make when race day doesn't go exactly to plan.

Coaching Powered by TrainingPeaks

TrainingPeaks is the platform used by the world's top coaches and professional athletes to plan, track, and analyze training. As a TrainingPeaks Level 2 Accredited Coach — the highest level of accreditation — I use it to deliver structured, data-driven coaching that adapts to your life.

  • Structured Training Plans — every workout built to purpose, with targets for power, pace, and heart rate
  • Real-Time Athlete Monitoring — I review your completed workouts and adjust the plan as needed
  • Performance Analytics — TSS, CTL, ATL, and fitness trends tracked over your entire season
  • Two-Way Communication — comment on every workout so we stay aligned, even across time zones
View My TrainingPeaks Profile
Athlete Stories

Real athletes. Real constraints. Real races.

Xiao Yeh on the run course at IRONMAN 70.3 Langkawi 2025

First 70.3

Xiao Yeh — From First Triathlon to IRONMAN 70.3, in One Year

Xiao Yeh stepped into triathlon in 2025 with no prior experience. Over the course of the year, he completed a standard-distance triathlon, a half marathon, and a full marathon — building race experience systematically before arriving at the start line of his first IRONMAN 70.3 in Langkawi.

The swim didn't go smoothly. He stopped multiple times to regroup. But he stayed calm, made it through, and finished the race. Langkawi wasn't a perfect day — it was the kind of day that teaches you more than a perfect one ever could.

"Zero experience. One year. One finish line."

Xiao Yeh with the group at IRONMAN 70.3 Langkawi 2025
Marcus exiting the swim at IRONMAN 70.3 Langkawi 2025

First 70.3 · Age 40+

Marcus — First IRONMAN 70.3 After Forty, Through a Very Unplanned Race

Marcus came to triathlon after forty, training around a six-day manufacturing work week. He arrived in Langkawi carrying a knee injury. During the race, a mechanical issue led to a crash on the descent — torn kit, time lost seeking repair and medical assistance, the plan completely disrupted.

He dealt with each problem as it came and crossed the finish line. Long-term preparation doesn't guarantee a clean race. It builds the capacity to handle a messy one.

Marcus's torn trisuit after the crash — the kit took the damage, the flag stayed intact

The kit didn't survive. He did.

Riccardo Tessari at the finish of the 2026 TCS Sydney Marathon, Sydney Opera House in the background

First Marathon · World Marathon Major

Riccardo — First 26.2, Straight to a World Marathon Major

Riccardo Tessari had never run a marathon before he signed up for the 2026 TCS Sydney Marathon — Abbott World Marathon Major #7. A finance executive and father, he set a goal of 3:19 and crossed in 3:14:17. Five minutes faster than planned.

He ran the first 17 kilometres with a 3:15 pacer, then on a long flat stretch he made his move — pushed up to the group ahead, built a buffer, and held it to the line. Pacing, fuelling (90g of carbs, exactly what his gut could absorb), and consistent preparation did the rest.

"The legs hurt — but you go through it."

Finishers gathered on the steps of the Sydney Opera House after the 2026 TCS Sydney Marathon
1-to-1 Online Coaching

Personalized coaching built around your life.

All packages include a TrainingPeaks Premium Account and a free initial consultation. Every athlete completes a brief application before we begin. Prices in USD.

Bronze

$149

USD / month

For self-directed athletes who primarily need clear structure and consistent monthly oversight.

  • TrainingPeaks Premium Account
  • Individualized training plan built around your life
  • Monthly training review — 1× plan adjustment per month
  • Key session feedback (brief notes)
  • Email support — responses within 2 business days
Most Popular

Silver

$229

USD / month

For committed athletes with a clear race goal who need ongoing feedback and regular adjustments.

  • TrainingPeaks Premium Account
  • Individualized training plan built around your life
  • Weekly training review — 2× plan adjustments per month
  • Personalized feedback on key sessions
  • Monthly video or phone check-in
  • Email or WhatsApp support
  • Basic race pacing, power, and nutrition planning

Gold

$359

USD / month

For athletes targeting a major A-race, IRONMAN full distance, or World Championship qualification.

  • TrainingPeaks Premium Account
  • Individualized training plan built around your life
  • Frequent training review — unlimited plan adjustments
  • In-depth feedback on all key sessions
  • Bi-weekly video or phone check-in
  • Priority communication
  • Full race strategy: pacing, power, nutrition, heat, equipment
  • Limited athlete capacity

All coaching is delivered via TrainingPeaks. View profile →

More Ways to Work Together

Coaching, speaking, and programs for teams and groups.

Dark Endurance Coaching primarily provides personalized 1-to-1 coaching, but the same principles of structured planning, sustainable execution, and continuous improvement can also support companies, clubs, and groups. Each service can be adapted to the organization, audience, number of participants, timeline, and intended outcome.

Corporate Speaking & Workshops

Practical and personal talks that connect endurance sport, international leadership, family life, and real-world performance. Nick's talks draw from senior manufacturing leadership, responsibility for large-scale operations, family life, and the journey to the IRONMAN World Championship.

  • Turning ambitious goals into executable actions
  • Time management for demanding careers and family responsibilities
  • Discipline and sustainable performance
  • Responding to setbacks, injuries, and changing plans
  • Problem-solving from manufacturing and endurance sport
  • Building healthier and more resilient teams
Discuss a Speaking Engagement

Customized proposal based on scope and audience.

Corporate Endurance Club Coaching

Structured coaching for company triathlon, running, cycling, and endurance clubs. The objective is not simply to prepare employees for one event, but to help build a safe, structured, and sustainable endurance culture within the organization.

  • Participant and goal assessment
  • Seasonal or annual training planning
  • Group workouts and TrainingPeaks delivery
  • Beginner-friendly training pathways
  • Target race preparation
  • Pacing, nutrition, and race-strategy workshops
Discuss a Corporate Club Program

Customized proposal based on scope, group size, and duration.

Group Training Programs

Structured training programs for small groups preparing for the same event or working toward a shared endurance goal. Athletes follow a common training direction while receiving appropriate intensity options for different fitness levels and experience.

  • Suitable for friends, running clubs, triathlon clubs, cycling groups, and company teams
  • TrainingPeaks delivery, group briefings, and progress reviews
  • Educational sessions and race preparation
  • Pacing, nutrition, and equipment guidance
Ask About a Group Program

Customized proposal based on group size, duration, and target event.

About Your Coach
Nick Hsieh crossing the finish line at the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France — name on the World Championship scoreboard, Taiwan flag raised Nick Hsieh on the run course at the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, Promenade des Anglais, Nice — Dark Endurance Coaching kit

IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship · Nice, France · 2026

I am not a full-time professional athlete.

"On the morning I qualified for the IRONMAN World Championship, I lost my job that afternoon. Same day. I started again."

I am a husband and a father of two — who has learned to train before dawn, travel for work, rebuild after injury, and still arrive at the start line ready to compete. I have qualified for both the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships. But the experience that shapes my coaching most is not standing at a finish line. It is learning how to pursue ambitious goals inside a demanding life.

In July 2026, I left a thirteen-year career in international manufacturing to coach full-time. I had served as Vice President of Operations, General Manager, and Factory Manager in Cambodia and the Philippines — including responsibility for a manufacturing operation with a workforce of approximately 7,000 people. I know what it means to carry a demanding job and still show up to train.

Years of leading international teams, solving complex operational challenges, and turning goals into execution have also shaped the way I coach: understand the real problem, identify the key constraint, and translate a complex goal into actions that can be sustained over time.

My coaching is evidence-informed and experience-tested. I combine training principles, performance data, athlete feedback, and real-world experience to make decisions. Numbers matter — but so do sleep, stress, recovery, work, family, and how the athlete actually feels.

A Different Path to Coaching

My coaching experience comes from more than the race course.

My approach to coaching is shaped not only by endurance sport, but also by mathematics, operations research, international manufacturing leadership, and years of solving real-world problems.

I hold a Bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics from National Chengchi University and a Master's degree in Operations Research from North Carolina State University.

This background taught me how to break complex goals into executable steps, identify the true constraint behind a problem, use data to support decisions, coordinate people with different responsibilities, and adapt when real-world conditions change.

Endurance coaching works the same way. A good training plan is not merely correct in theory. It must be something a real person can consistently execute alongside work, family, travel, stress, and recovery.

Education
  • B.S. in Applied Mathematics
    National Chengchi University
  • M.S. in Operations Research
    North Carolina State University
International Leadership
  • Manufacturing operations and team leadership, 2013 – 2026
  • Senior roles in Cambodia and the Philippines — Vice President of Operations, General Manager, Factory Manager
  • Responsibility for a manufacturing operation with approximately 7,000 employees
Applied to Coaching
  • Systems thinking
  • Root-cause problem solving
  • Data-informed decisions
  • Clear execution
  • Continuous improvement
  • Adaptation to real-life constraints
Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions.

No. Athletes I work with range from those targeting their first sprint-distance race to experienced age-groupers pursuing IRONMAN World Championship qualification. What matters most is that you have a clear goal and are willing to train consistently.
Yes — this is specifically what my coaching is designed for. Before any plan is written, I learn about your work schedule, travel patterns, and family commitments. Training is built around your life, not the other way around.
A basic GPS watch is sufficient to start. Heart rate and power data are useful but not required. We work with what you have and build from there.
Training is reviewed through TrainingPeaks regularly — at minimum monthly in the Bronze package, weekly in Silver and Gold. Adjustments are made based on execution, recovery, athlete feedback, and anything that changes in your schedule.
Yes. I coach runners, cyclists, and multisport athletes. The principles of structured training, recovery, and race preparation apply across all endurance disciplines.
It is a short call, typically 20 to 30 minutes. No preparation needed. We talk about your goals, current training, work and family schedule, and whether working together makes sense for both of us. There is no sales pitch.
A minimum of three months is recommended to see meaningful progress and establish a stable training rhythm. Month-to-month arrangements are available after the initial period.
Yes. Talks and workshops can be adapted to company culture, audience, event purpose, and available time. Topics may include goal execution, resilience, time management, health, problem-solving, and sustainable performance.
Yes. Corporate club programs can include participant assessment, seasonal planning, group training, TrainingPeaks delivery, educational sessions, and preparation for a shared event.
Yes. Group programs are available for friends, clubs, company teams, and small communities preparing for the same event or working toward a shared endurance goal.
No. These services vary according to group size, program duration, delivery method, travel requirements, and level of support. A customized proposal is provided after an initial discussion.
Contact

Have another way of working together in mind?

Whether you are looking for personalized coaching, a corporate speaker, a coach for your company endurance club, a group training program, or another endurance-related collaboration, feel free to get in touch.

Please include a brief introduction to yourself, your company, club, or group, the approximate number of participants, your goals, and your preferred timeline. I will review the information and reply with the most appropriate next step.

Contact Dark Endurance Coaching

nickhsieh@darkendurancecoaching.com

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Let's find out if we're a good fit.

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