If I recall correctly you have done many century length rides at a very fast pace from the early spring on. Unless you were on a training plan that included a recovery week every 3rd or 4th week you were riding tired. It's possible to continue riding tired, as you were riding, and have good results because you are a
strong rider. Taking the time off allowed your body to do two things. Rest and recovery was the first item and growth of muscles was the second part of your body to respond to the break.
I tried to coach myself to better performance last year due in part to my athletic past and being a HS track & field coach for many years. The result was I over trained and went backwards. This year I invested in a coach who has me doing recovery weeks every 4th week and my riding has improved greatly. I am currently thinking that I should be taking a recovery week after two hard weeks, then after 3 hard weeks on the next cycle. I can tell when I need a rest when my HR wont get up into Z5 without an all out effort or riding in Z4 is difficult. After a rest week the HR zooms up and I can sustain it and continue riding. That is a positive when I ride a local training race with the A Group where we average 26+mph for 45 to 50 miles. I'm able to sit in for the whole race with my HR almost always being in Z4 to low Z5. The result of the recovery week is that I'm able to really push myself harder than I thought possible then back off for the body to respond.
Now, beer and good food has it's benefits also! We can't forget the mysterious power of beer and beans. I try to balance my intake of beer and food to the effort spent on the bike.
