I stay in the pedals all the time. They're really too small to ride on them without being clipped in. Practice makes perfect when it comes to getting out of them in time. Grassy areas are good places to practice. Just clip in and out a bunch of times. If you want to practice panic release let yourself start to fall over and then try to get out (this is why grass is good). The heel swing release is pretty natural and becomes second nature pretty quick.
Time pedals won't really break in, but the cleats will wear. When the cleats wear it gets a little easier to unclip. When your feet start coming out too easy it's time for new cleats.
The little numbers on your saddle rails are just measurements. They're nice if you want to play around with fine tuning saddle placement because you can make note of small adjustments. They're also good if you move your seat or take it off and want to get it back where it was.