[jeepster93]

I found an old set of pedals with cages and straps on them.
Hmmm...

How much time does it take to change shoes, I wonder???
I know the times of those my age I will compete with, from last years race.
They are spending about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes in each transition. I don't know about the shoe change with them? My guess is they change shoes.

[photosbymark]

Does pose and interesting question. Would you gain more by having a firmer sole of the shoe and clips, than using a regular running shoe and using a pedal with cages and straps??

The ideal solution would be a hybrid shoe. A shoe where the back half of the shoe would be a running shoe. You would still need all the cushioning for the impact of running. A solid sole more for cycling up toward the front with a cleat attachment, but built up around the cleat where you could still comfortably run in them too.