Transition 2: Bike to Run
(Rows and rows of transition bags)
Someone handed me my T2 bag, and I clomped into the changing tent. I had to take off my sunglasses, because it was so dark in there. No volunteer rushed over to assist me (they were either busy helping others, or distracted), and I'm not very confrontational, so I just set about doing it on my own. Took off my helmet and shoes, put on my running shoes, realized that putting on my running shoes strongly implied that I was going to RUN after riding 112 miles, and then tried not to think about that yet. All in good time. Somehow I'd managed to ride 112 miles against all odds, after all!
As I was swapping out my shoes, I heard the girl next to me asking the volunteer helping her if she was, in fact, the nun who did all the triathlons. And she was! Sister Madonna, the nun who's done 33 (I think she said) Ironman triathlons, was volunteering in the changing tent! I told her I thought she was incredible as I removed one warm warmer (I finally decided I was willing to lose the arm warmers). I had trouble removing the second one, and she saw me struggling and offered to help. Which took a second, because we were having no luck, and then she realized I was trying to take the thing OFF, not put it on, and we were working at cross purposes. Once we worked together, we got it off in no time.
I took some ibuprofen, which I'd decided was going to be best for my mental health, given my nagging shin problems, put my sunglasses on, and as Sister Madonna told me she'd pack up my stuff for me, I put on my waist belt full of gu, turned my number around to the front, and ran out of the changing tent and across the mat. 6 minutes. Still not great, but better than T1, and again better than the 15 minutes I'd blindly anticipated.