I was in the same situation years ago and I'm still at the point that I work on standing technique every time I ride and in some cases I am faster sitting. All the suggestions above are right on. Here's what helped the most for me. 1) Set the bike up so it is comfortable to sit or stand. For me that meant higher, more forward bar mount position, and less sweep bars. You want to be able to stand comfortably with all your weight on the pegs, not leaning forward on the bars. 2) Practice all the time, even if you don't need to stand. 3) Be patient and enjoy the learning experience. Those people who blitz through things while standing have probably been doing it for many years.
For shifting, I have size 11 feet and have always taken my foot off the peg to shift while standing. It seemed impossible at first and now I hardly notice I shifted. Just practice.
Jon
'01 XC300
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