1) usually you want the axle of the pedal at or just behind the ball of your foot.
2) drink gatoraid on your longer rides. I learned this the hard way after my very first 60 mile group ride. Always drink gatoraid. Water only later into the ride and only if there is no other option. Many times I'll take two waterbottles with gatoraid initially, and on longer rides, as I pass watering holes, I'll gradually dilute the gatoraid in my bottles.
__________________
Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --
the tiniest sprinter