Her sense of adventure a winner
WEXFORD — Edna Spang began competing in triathlons about four years ago.
Spang, the head lifeguard and pool supervisor at Adams Ridge Community Pool in Mars, started with the swim-bike-run style of triathlons, but now has become very adept at more demanding styles of the event.
On June 27, Spang was the top female finisher for the third consecutive year at the Great Island Adventure Triathlon, which is held near Lock Haven.
She completed the 3Z\x-mile kayak paddle, the 15Z\x-mile bike ride and the 4-mile run in 1 hour, 57 minutes, 11 minutes ahead of her nearest competitor.
Spang, 41, of Wexford has improved with each title, finishing in 2007 with a time of 2:02 and 1:57:59 last year.
"I like to do both kinds of triathlons, but adventure triathlons is what I prefer," said Spang. "I like to do orienteering, with maps and a compass and mountain biking."
Chaz Ross, 32, of Uniondale was the top overall winner with a time of 1:34. Both Spang and Ross have won all three years the event has been in existence.
In all, 120 competitors took part, up from 86 the first year, and came from five different states with ages ranging from 15 to 66.
Spang has used her ability as a strong kayaker to get out of the gate quickly.
"I get a pretty nice lead," said Spang.
It was because of her mother living in Lewisburg that Spang, as well as her husband, Tim, 40, found out about the Great Island Adventure Triathlon, she uses as a tuneup for an upcoming race.
"It was kind of a practice run because I do the Pittsburgh Triathlon and Adventure Race every year," she said about the event, which will be held July 26 downtown and on the North Side. Those events are a 4-mile kayak paddle, a 2-mile bike ride and a 3Z\x-mile swim.
"It's always been a bigger crowd in Pittsburgh because it's in the city and people can come from all over. I've won the Pittsburgh race two years in a row. I'm going for three in a row, but you never know what to expect," Spang added.
The couple also team up in the Grass Roots Adventure Series, of which includes the Pittsburgh event, as well as one in Moraine State Park and the Laurel Highlands.
Even that doesn't necessarily satisfy the couple's taste for adventure.
"We like to do the longer races, like the 12- and 24-hour races with all the navigation, mountain climbing, kayaking, running, sometimes repelling," said Spang.
She has always been a runner while Tim Spang was a mountain biker. About four years ago, they were looking for something they could do together.
"We felt that being married, we would make a pretty good team," said Spang, who while winning Pittsburgh the past two years as an individual also finished second in the Grass Roots series by competing in five events with her husband.
