115+? That's pretty high. Maybe you were really overrreached and scaling back allowed you to hit more specific work?
I don't know, but to throw out a (potentially useless) comparison, my CTL hasn't hit over 103 in 3 years and I'm riding 9,000+ miles a year as a Cat 1. 1 can't even handle 100+ for too long, and typically hover in the high 90s.
In any case, I can take a couple of weeks off, have CTL drop in to the 60s, ride for a week or two and get it back in the 70s and still crush a local KOM. But that would be a one off effort. A higher CTL, however, allows me to train harder and longer (more "on" days with more intensity and duration on those days) and race harder and longer events that I couldn't do at a lower CTL. So one good ride in isolation doesn't really say much with regards to what your CTL is or is not doing for you in terms of your absolute performance.
I'd say keep doing what you enjoy, keep track of your numbers, and look for any trends on down the line. Then tailor your training appropriately to fit what you need.