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The Spam Man can

Who can run, bike and
swim through a triathlon
on a heavy Spam diet?

Spam recipes

By Betty Shimabukuro
Star-Bulletin

A slim, trim, 47-year-old triathlete would be an ideal spokesman for just about any food product.

But when the guy professes to eat Spam four times a week and says it improves his ability, well you just gotta notice that.

Hormel Foods did, and sponsors Bob Brubaker, aka Spam Man, in his triathlon competitions, in return for which Brubaker proudly wears the Spam colors of blue and yellow and talks about the product to anyone who'll listen.

Hormel Foods
Bob Brubaker participates in triathlons in full Spam
regalia. He says he gets an especially warm welcome
in Hawaii. "They do show a lot of love."

Brubaker states up front that he has no scientific evidence to back up his personal observations on Spam, he just knows how it works for him. Hormel just refers to Brubaker's "healthy devotion" to the pink pork log.

This is what Brubaker had to say after completing the Half-Distance Ironman Triathlon in Kona Sunday in a time of 5 hours, 26 minutes. He'll be back for the Ironman in October.

Question: What do you and Hormel do for each other?

Answer: I put together a 30-page proposal last year to be "Spam Man at the Iron Man" and they bought it. ...

I think I was on 30 or 40 radio shows from August to October. The TV show 'Extra' did a piece on me. They even had (my wife) Jan cooking Spam -- her famous Spam Cheesecake (recipe follows).

Q: How do other triathletes take this?

A: When other athletes see me walking around in my Spam gear they look down on me. I just say, "Well, who's your sponsor?" Most of them don't have one."

Q: So, is Spam really good for you?

A: I know I'm recovering better from my workouts since I added Spam to my diet. ... You do get depleted in your electrolytes, and I'm sure the salt (in the Spam)

helps. And I think that being an endurance athlete you need a little fat in your diet. Everybody does. ...

I don't know the science of it, but I do know it helps me."

Q: Did you eat much Spam growing up?

A: Yes I did, usually as a sandwich. When we were first married, we used to eat Spam. But we stopped after awhile.

Q: Why'd you start again?

A: Lots of athletes train and eat a lot of carbohydrates; they don't eat much meat. I'd read some research that said protein and a little fat were beneficial. I picked up a can of Spam and said, "I'm going to try that again." I fixed Spam and eggs. It became a kind of ritual.

Q: Surely you must eat something else, too.

A: I eat anything I want -- and I eat Spam three to four times a week. ... I do eat a lot of salads and a lot of fresh fruits.

Q: What's your favorite way to eat Spam?

A: I fix a great Spam omelet. I eat more smoke-flavored Spam than regular.

Q: You're also a minister back in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. How does being Spam Man fit in with that?

A: Normally, as a minister, people set you aside and won't talk to you the way they should. But they do come up and talk to the Spam Man. ...

It opens up a lot of doors. The one thing about being the Spam Man -- you can't take yourself too seriously.

Jan Brubaker's Spam Cheesecake is actually an appetizer spread for crackers and bread. It gets it's name from the variety of cheeses included and the way it's baked, like a cake.

Spam Cheesecake

1 can smoked Spam, diced
2 8-ounce packages garden vegetable cream cheese
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup blue cheese
1/4 cup chopped black olives
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 onion, diced

Topping:
8 ounces sour cream
1/4 cup sugar

Garnish:
Mango chutney
Toasted pinenuts

Combine ingredients, spread in a pan and bake 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Combine topping ingredients and spread over baked mixture. Bake 15 minutes more. Top with mango chutney and pine nuts. Serve as a spread with a variety of crackers and breads.

Nutritional information unavailable.

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