Swimming into the Unknown: Red’s Phil Hawthorne on Conquering UltraSwim 33.3

How did you feel leading up to the event? 

Leading up to the event, I was training as much as I could in and around family and work commitments, and to be honest, I don’t think I could have done much more without it negatively impacting those areas. I was getting a little stressed at not being able to perform at the same level I had in previous years, but then I reminded myself this is just a different chapter in my life, and I was a lot younger and fitter back then. Even so, I was training as hard and as often as I could, and I was happy with what I’d been doing. 

With regards to the actual physical event, I was fortunate enough to attend the pre-camp a day or two before the actual race began. This gave me and a group who were a little more unsure the chance to have a look at the event locations and dip our toes in the water. Being able to have some quick local dips to acclimatise to the environment was a great experience, especially as I’d never really swum in open water before. It definitely helped alleviate some slight "niggles." 

What physical and mental challenges did you face during the event? 

The main physical challenge I faced personally was neck chafing. I had been for a couple of quick dips in the UK with the aim of trying out open water, and I noticed the same issue then. I’d never swum a considerable distance in a wetsuit before, and it had never been a problem, but for this swim, I needed to move my neck and head a lot more than I had before, and my neck became very painful even after just a few kilometres. 

So, I did a bit of research to see what other people had experienced and what their solutions were. I found several popular lubricants and a silicone neck collar that had quite a lot of positive reviews. Thinking about this as an engineering problem, I figured any moving part needs lubricant and, if possible, an intermediary component too. When it came to deciding what to try, I went with both! 

From the research I’d done — on everything from training to equipment and nutrition — the unanimous advice was to try nothing new on race day. However, I just hadn’t had time to test this out, so I was a little apprehensive. Luckily, I had the pre-camp swim, so I tested it out there, and it worked! I was really relieved because there were a few swimmers who had similar issues but didn’t have anything to help them. Some were really sore, so I definitely felt fortunate. 

How did the atmosphere and support from others affect your experience? 

The Ultraswim 33.3 group were amazing! The team were the pinnacle of professionalism, and the swimmers were so open and friendly! I had been told that many triathlon events were quite focused and competitive, which I completely understand, but that wasn’t what I wanted or needed, so I wasn’t fully sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised when everyone I met was in the same boat, with some having obviously done a lot more training than I had, but most not having done as much and really just being in it for the adventure! 

Chatting to all these people from literally all over the world — the US, Brazil, Australia, the UK, France, Spain — was amazing. So many different stories, so many reasons why, but we were all about to get in, which was great! 

How did completing the event make you feel? 

I’m really glad I finished! My biggest concern was that I’d race out and then run out of energy at some point along the race and have to abandon, which would have been catastrophic for me personally. Instead, I was able to keep a steady, comfortable pace and just click into the zone. I did have to try really hard at times, especially when I passed people or if people passed me, as I did find myself immediately pulling in front of them, but then I remembered that it’s a marathon, not a sprint! I’m really happy I didn’t get too carried away and was able to hold what I thought was a good pace. 

What did you learn from this experience, and what are your future goals? 

I learned that I am capable of competing in endurance events, which I had always dismissed before. I think there’s still a lot of work to do if I want to continue to develop, but my main fear of not even being able to finish has gone. Now that I have my base time, I can start to build upon this, improve, and get quicker, aiming for personal bests. This is something I’m familiar with, and it will be exciting to do because I’ll need to start increasing my speed (but not too much!). This is the next step in my development: learning to exert myself more but within my own mental confines. Mentally, that’s where my challenge lies too — being able to "throttle" myself and learn how to increase my pace at the right amount. 

What’s next for you after completing the UltraSwim 33.3? 

I’ve been thinking about that recently, and I would really like to swim the Channel. I’ve always wanted to, I suppose because in my head it’s the equivalent of the London Marathon, but for swimmers — and I’m not very good at running. I know several people who have swum it, and I know I could do it. However, I realise it’s probably not a good idea to just turn up and jump in. I know there’s a lot of research, training, and admin to do to prepare for an event like that, so I think as I start working towards that, it would be a good idea to get some smaller events in beforehand. There’s so much more to learn, and I think my understanding will only grow with each event I take part in. 

I’d also love to take part in another UltraSwim 33.3 because it was such an amazing experience. I’d then either work on my times or, what would be appealing, is to see if I can swim a much longer distance in one go, which I know the team can facilitate. This would also help me gain new insights into swimming further, especially as I work towards my Channel swim goal. 

I do already have another event booked in for a couple of weeks’ time, which I am really looking forward to, so I’ll just take it one step at a time and see how that goes. I’m also continuing my pool training, and the team has been talking about working towards a Royal Navy event, as well as the upcoming British and European Masters, which would also be awesome to attend!

How did Red Equipment and others support you during this journey? 

The Red team were and are amazing, and it really helped having them there. They were obviously working the entire time, but in between that, at lunches and evening briefings, etc., it was brilliant to hear all of the stories from people they’d spoken to and encourage me on the swim I had just completed that day or talk about what was coming the day after. It really was such a help to have such a great team there supporting me. 

There was also one instance on the third "marathon" day where there was a pier leading to the finish line. I cannot stress how good it was to see people I know cheering me on — it really gave me that final push. This was one of, if not the highlight of my swim, as I knew I could then give it everything I had and actually won a head-to-head I had with two other swimmers. 

Completing the UltraSwim 33.3 was a powerful milestone in Phil’s open water swimming journey, showcasing the importance of endurance training, mental strength, and community support. Whether you’re a seasoned swimmer or just starting out, Phil’s story is a reminder that with the right mindset and preparation, incredible swim challenges are within reach.

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