The gym fills with horror as the gym teacher strides over to play the sound no one wants to hear. Everyone on the line laces their shoes as they wait for what is about to come. People are biting their nails and stretching off to the side. Hands are getting clammy. “The FitnessGram Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues” blares across the room. This marks the beginning of one of the most hated fitness tests around: The Pacer Test.

The Pacer Test is a fitness test that consists of running from one side of the gym to the other side of the gym before the beep of the audio track. The test gets faster and faster until eventually it appears impossible to make it back to the line before the beep. As the levels increase, the speed also picks up. There are 21 total levels. This back and forth repetition continues until fatigue begins to take over.

The first and foremost reaction is to stumble to the ground and gasp for air. After this, it is common to swim in a pool of self pity once reality starts to kick in on the number that you received. The Pacer Test goes up to 138 but the average P.E. kid is unwilling to go past 50. This is mainly because the test reaches a point where it just becomes too boring to be running in back and forth lines, or you are near death.

P.E. teacher, Jane Wheeler, said, “The Pacer Test is the best way to measure cardiovascular endurance. The Pacer Test measures how well a person is using their heart and lungs.” While this may be true some of the students at Pleasant Valley High School beg to differ on the Pacer Test’s importance.

Ben Decker said, “It’s a waste of time.” Students do not realize how they are benefiting from this test. We take the Pacer Test at the beginning of the year and the end of the year, while unaware of how we are supposed to exactly improve.

Ana Shammas said, “How do I describe something with so much pain and agony. It’s boring. I would rather run laps instead of sprint back and forth endlessly.” Students would appreciate a fitness test with less repetition, and of course, less physical pain.

Pleasant Valley gym students all have, “Remember to run in a straight line and run as long as possible” imprinted in their minds. It seems we will continue to sprint back and forth across the gym, letting a single beep, guide our way. Unfortunately, the struggle will go on, as the Pacer Test is here to stay.