A plateau isn’t the end of progress. It’s your brain packing boxes before the next move.

Flat stretches are normal and they are not empty. A lot of consolidation happens invisibly, as the thing you were doing with effort gets moved somewhere automatic, and while that transfer is going on, nothing measurable improves. It feels like stalling. Most people quit here, which is why the stretch right after a plateau is so often where people separate.

When the numbers stop moving, change the measurement before you change the plan. Look at smoothness, at speed, at how much less it costs you than it did. Keep showing up for a few more weeks, and if it is still flat, then change one thing.