pedaling with my toes down.

[Grog]

If you try cycling on a computrainer which displays your power at every moment of your pedal stroke, you can see the difference in power output between different pedalling techniques. The following is NOT what you want to achieve. By pedalling properly, as if you were slipping your feet into slippers (on top) and scraping chewing gum off the sole of your shoe (at the bottom) you'd achieve a perfect or nearly perfect circle, with equal power at all times. If you stand up and mash the pedals, you'll get a perfect... peanut.