VO2 Max Tests and Time Trials

Long time no post. I had a VO2 max test at the university of texas last week. The long and short of it is for the VO2 max test was it gave me a max maraton time of a 3:02 and a 10k around 40min. A 40 min 10k is close to a 6:26 min/mile pace. What is interesting is I've run a 1/2 marathon at a 6:32 min/mile pace. The VO2 max test seemed so far off that Steve et all decided no to use it since I've already run faster that the test says I can ever run. I don't know of too many people this happens to.

This brings me to ... it's all mental. I've always been good at keeping pace but that seems to go too far where I'm just not used to pushing myself where I become uncomfortable. Had a 2 mile time trial today and ran it in 11:44 ... again pretty slow given the paces I've been comfortably running some workouts lately. The run wasn't too hard and I never got that burning sensation in my legs. So this morning I had a few thoughts:

1. Forget training for a marathon next April and focus on 5k racing so I get used to pushing myself more.
   
2. Ignore my time trial time and just train based on a 2:55 marathon fitness (10 min faster than the time trial indicates)
3. Run the time trail again in a couple of weeks and just suck it up and do what it takes.

Have I decided anything ... no. But one thing is for sure, learning to push and to become comfortable with pain at these shorter distances is definately an area I need to work on.