The idea isn't to go WOT often or for very long. So you're not beating on it. The idea is to see if WOT now behaves differently than WOT a year ago. If it's the same, all is good. if it's 200 RPM less, smoky and has some extra vibration, well, something is wrong. Might be an engine issue or might be crud on the prop or prop damage, but either way, it's likely affecting things at cruise speed, just not as obviously. And depending on what it is, it may get worse.
Catching a problem while it's minor and can be fixed on your terms is always better than waiting until the problem says "ok, I'm here, fix me now!"
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