Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 6,744
Likes: 5,365
From: Minneapolis
Bikes: 2022 Salsa Beargrease Carbon Deore 11, 2020 Salsa Warbird GRX 600, 2020 Canyon Ultimate CF SLX disc 9.0 Di2, 2020 Catrike Eola, 2016 Masi cxgr, 2011, Felt F3 Ltd, 2010 Trek 2.1, 2009 KHS Flite 220
You adjusted by moving to the middle of the gear range? Does that mean before you were riding in the toughest gears? Bah! Beginner's mistake!
Go easy on your legs. Keep in the low gears and work on getting the cadence up. You shouldn't use those small cogs except for down steep hills and monster sprints (probably down modest grades).