Ryan's Olympic Gold Medal

Yesterday as the world watched Ryan Lochte dominate the swim medley and win Olympic gold, my Ryan Beck scored a gold medal for swimming, biking, and running his first Olympic-length triathlon.(OK, OK, so Lochte's medal is really gold, while Beck's finisher's medal looks gold. Still, I'm impressed.)

Apparently, if you're a 27- or 28-year old Ryan, you're bound to be a) jaw-droppingly attractive and b) destined for studly greatness.  After months of training, Ry rocked the Spudman Triathlon's 1.5k swim, 25 mile bike, and 10k run, crossing the finish line with a 2:32 time and ninth in his division. That's my man! I am so proud of my stud in the Spud. Tami and Randy were fabulous as well - way to go, Becks!

We began our drive to Burley, Idaho, at 3:50 a.m. and met up with Ryan's sister, brother, and mom. The three siblings competed, while Trisha and I covered cheering and photography. Here's the victorious day in pictures, starting from when we arrived with thousands of other race-goers in the wee morning hours:

Thousands of bikes lined up at sunrise - ready for action!

Each racer got a bag of goodies, including an Idaho spud. Here, Ryan's getting his race number on his shirt.

Ryan barely made it in the water on time for his heat. With a current-aided swim, he said the water felt nice.

And they're off! Ryan, Tami, and Randy are pictured here - can you pick them out?

The masses of people watching, or waiting for their heat. Nothing like the tangible energy in the air on race day.

After the swim and bike, Ryan rushes to transition for the 10k run.

Tie those laces tight!

On the last quarter mile, he came in strong. Go, Ryan, Go!

"Here comes Ryan Beck, 28, of Ogden, Utah" says the announcer. Finish line in sight!

HE DID IT!!! Looking great, stud. Notice my rad London Olympics shirt; thanks Dad and Sue for getting it in England!

Ryan, Randy, Tami, and Julia - Olympic triathlon gold medalists! Nice work, you guys!

9 Ways You Know You're FRUGAL

Are you frugal too?

Granted, we're just starting out. But still. We don't buy the "instant gratification" consumer concept floating around society.  We don't need brand-new everything; nor should we pay top-dollar to have nice things, especially when we can find deals. Steering clear of unnecessary stress, we avoid consumer debt like the plague. In fact, a big attraction factor when we were dating was how frugal we both like to live. (As I've said before, we bargain-hunters were meant for each other.) We seek to be wise stewards of our money, and maybe you can relate to our living-on-the-cheap lifestyle:

1. Going through your wardrobe, you can recall how much you paid for each shirt - whether at a thrift store like D.I. or on sale. "Yeah, this GAP one was $2, this American Eagle was $4. That Ralph Lauren, oh, that was pricey - it was $8."

2. Whenever you go to a hotel, you keep mini bottles of lotion, shampoo, and conditioner. You now have a hefty supply useful for camping trips, keeping in your purse, or that dreaded day when you run out of conditioner mid-shower.

3. You never go out and just buy high-ticket items. For things like new road bikes, you do research online, and usually find the best deal on sites like KSL.com, craigslist, etc.

4. You know OfficeMax gives $2 for every empty ink cartridge you turn in, and you can buy them on eBay for 60 cents a piece. So, you rack up the points and get free office supplies.

5. You're proud of the fact that your entire living space is populated with hand-me-down or gifted furniture.

6. When you get presents, you keep all gift bags, ribbons, and even tissue paper to wrap future gifts. (No use in spending $4.95 on a bag. I mean, come on!)

7. You do yardwork and/or handyman projects at your apartment to lower your rent.

8. When banks offer a $100 or $125 bonus for opening an account, you jump on it. You keep money in there for the required six months, close it and walk away with more than the going interest rate. You  have already made $850 with this little trick.

 9. Last, but definitely not least: When the sample day rolls around at Costco, you think, "Mmm...FREE LUNCH!"


How are you frugal? Tell, tell. We wanna hear your ideas.