Do not underestimate transitions

Congrats!

For some strange reason that I don't really understand, I've always enjoyed trying to make transitions as smooth and efficient and quick as possible.  I'm not sure, but I think my fastest to date is an 18 second T2.  (Small race, probably around 100 people.)

Not just in sprints either.  I have a friend who missed a qualifying spot for Kona in an Ironman because she spent several more minutes in transitions than someone who finished ahead of her.

I know this isn't really a thread about the nitty gritty of fast transitions, but I can't resist a quick comment about the above:  try to minimize  any clothes-changing (to zero if possible, shoes excepted of course).

Leaving aside wetsuits, here's my plan:

Anything shorter than an iron distance race:  S/B/R in the same tri suit (top and bottom, or one piece).  Helmet on in T1. Hop on the bike.  Helmet off in T2, shoes on (no socks).  Shoes are pre-tied with elastic laces so they slip on in 2 seconds.

For an iron distance race I will put on socks in T2.  Also maybe put on a different shirt and a running hat, depending on weather and how I'm feeling.

As OP said, practicing these things makes it easy.  (Also practice by occasionally training in the same clothing that you'll wear on race day, including sockless running.)

I would also definitely put on socks if the run was on a trail.  But I never wear them on the road, even when training.

My race strategy at my last race (70.3) was to walk through the aid stations on the run. 

I usually try to get through the transitions pretty quick but with cramping at the end of the swim and again at the end of the bike I walked through the T1 & T2 too.  My transition times were pretty slow but  I was curious if anyone walks through the transitions as a pacing strategy. 

When I was living in the Austin, TX area I followed a local AG competitive athlete who was the first place overall Age Grouper at the Ironman Texas.  I was suprised to see that his T2 was close to 8 minutes. He still went under 9 hours so while I agree that is is much easier to shave off 2 minutes in Transition than it is to shave 2 minutes off a run leg I am curious about how pacing through Transitions plays into things.   

I wouldn't think of it in terms of 'pacing', really.  The distance that you cover in a transition is a tiny portion of the entire race, even in a sprint.  Pacing is more about how you distribute your effort over that whole distance.

BUT, especially in a longer race such as IM, there may be good reasons, in the specific context of a race, to take it easy, or to take some 'extra' time, in transition.  Maybe something bad happened out there in the swim.  Maybe you just need a mental check.  Maybe you just want to enjoy the moment.  There are a million things that can happen and a million reasons to pause in transition.

But, assuming that the goal is to finish the race as quickly as possible, I wouldn't slow down in transitions on purpose for the sake of 'pacing' alone.  If you've burned yourself so badly on the swim or bike that you cannot afford to at least jog through transition then you've got real pacing issues!