Pumpkin Beer Bread

I did something a little crazy last week. I signed up for the Rock N Roll Las Vegas half marathon! I had been thinking about and planning it for the last few months, but I finally made it official last week. I paid my nearly $200 registration fee, booked a hotel, and now there is no turning back!! My sister is coming to visit me in November (just about 6 weeks from now) and we are going to go to Vegas and run it together. It will be a first for both of us– Vegas AND half marathon.

About a year and a half ago, I trained for a half marathon and got all the way to the 12 mile long run. And then two days before the race I came down with a gnarly stomach bug that ended up lasting a full week. I was so bummed out I couldn’t do the race! I started a full time job shortly after that and didn’t have time to train for another one. Well, I still don’t exactly have time to train (and this time of year when it’s getting darker and darker on both ends of my workday doesn’t help), but it’s something that needs to be crossed off the bucket list, so I’m going to make it work.

I’m following a 6-week training plan, which is what I used last time. (I’ve been running 3 miles 4-5 times per week pretty consistently for the past few years… if you haven’t been running consistently, I wouldn’t suggest a 6-week plan.) Technically it starts tomorrow, but I decided to try 5 miles today to make sure I wouldn’t die. I survived!

So since my favorite long run carb-loading items are beer and bread, today I made you some beer bread. And since it’s a balmy 96 degree October day here in the Central Valley, I decided to summon fall by adding a little pumpkin.

Pumpkin Beer Bread

(adapted from gimme some oven)

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp all spice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 12-ounce bottle pumpkin ale

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, spices and salt. Add the honey, pumpkin and beer and stir everything until just combined.

Pour into a non-stick sprayed loaf pan. Bake 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Serve warm with lots of melty butter!

This bread has the yeasty-ness of beer bread with the spiciness of pumpkin bread. It would be perfect alongside a big bowl of chili!

Are you training for any races these days? What are your favorite pumpkin treats?