I've never had my power or VO2 max tested...part of me thinks it would be cool to know these #s, but part of me wonders if they would have a negative effect. If the #s are good would I feel like a loser for being so average-to-mediocre when I have the potential to be better? Or if the #s are not good would I use it as an excuse to not push myself to improve with what I have to work with?

Pretty sure my VO2 max is not great, though. I'm asthmatic and have always been a slow runner at aerobic pursuits, regardless of training (I was still slow that year I put in >1800 miles on-foot). I'm relatively stronger as a cyclist and was a relatively decent sprinter in HS (anaerobic), which makes me think that my inborn leg power is pretty decent (these big quads have got to be good for something!).

I married a guy with HUGE and strong lungs (his VO2 max # when he was tested in HS were pretty amazing) and massive quads. He's a monster on a bike. I hope our kid inherits his dad's lungs, rather than the crap lungs that my side of the family seems to yield (it helps little that my folks were smokers when we were kids).