Pacer Test

The most infamous of the gym class exercise triad (remember the Mile Run and Suicides?). The gym teacher yells at everyone to line up at one end of the gym. Popping in the audio CD, a woman with an inhumanly cheerful tone instructs you to start running. You jog over to one side, and a beep ensues a few seconds later, propelling students to the other side. Slowly, the beeps become more frequent. The first one fails to make it in time. Kids begin dropping like flies. Lungs crumple. Stomachs churn. Hearts are on the verge of spontaneous combustion. Bodies. Bodies everywhere. No one can tell whether the poor kid lying face-down on the floor is still alive. The air is filled with body odor, retching, and the occasional quiet sob. Only the athletes are left. They manage to get to the triple digits, a feat worthy of legend. But even gods must fall.