“I would wake up [at] around seven and have a morning workout,” Ancheta said. “Whether that be [a workout] I'm focusing on or wrestling, … [it would] just be something [to] get me running in the morning.”

Ancheta says he works out both for wrestling and for his own physique, adding that he hasn’t missed a day of scheduled workouts since he started in March. When the smoke from the wildfires reduced the air quality in Cupertino, he began to replace outdoor exercises like running with less appealing indoor alternatives such as plyometrics or jumping based workouts, traditionally used to build “explosiveness” in athletes.

Though Ancheta says he could modify his workouts relatively quickly due to the worsening air quality, he admits that the wildfires had little effect on his workouts compared to Cross Country and Track and Field teams.

“I feel for Cross Country runners and runners in general” Ancheta said. “[They] would probably have a bit more of a problem because, unless they have a treadmill or something inside, everything they do is pretty much outside. They're running around the block, they're running on a track … the air quality definitely probably affected them a lot more than it affected me.”

Junior Nitin Kukreja, who is on both the Wrestling and Cross Country team, agrees with Ancheta, stating that his Cross Country workouts have been impacted by the fires.

“We just run it by [what] coach decides,” Kukreja said. “Our coaches say ... ‘Go out for a little shake out run. If you're feeling like it's hurting or it's gonna get like it's too much for you, just head back and relax. Otherwise, if you’re feeling good, just go for a run. It's all about how your lungs are feeling that day.’”

Kukreja added that his Cross Country coaches recommended athletes do less strenuous runs and go for many leaning towards flatter runs rather than inclined ones.

Prior to the wildfires, Kukreja says he ran six times a week. His runs have since been reduced to three to four a week, and both he and Ancheta have spent more time working on strength-related workouts rather than cardio ones.

Athletes aren’t the only ones affected by the worsening air quality due to the wildfires. French teacher Sarah Finck has been attending group yoga lessons taught by English literature teacher Vennessa Nava. Their group of six to eight had to begin meeting socially distantly during afternoons in person at Jollyman Park in June, but have moved back to Zoom lessons when the air quality worsened.

“We realized over the summer [that] we were ok with being socially distanced but in person,” Finck said. “In person together, we realized it was nice out, [and] that it would be nice to see each other physically and do something that we all enjoy … and the added benefit of being outside and [in] some yoga positions. [At Jollyman Park] you're looking right up at the sky and seeing the trees.”

Even with the loss of in-person interaction with nature, Finck believes that meeting online has it’s advantages, especially making transportation unnecessary for everyone involved.

“Just connecting from home can have its convenience,” Fink said. “I think we all opportunities these days to get out of the house, to get outside and do something a little bit social … we can do it from home on Zoom.”

Ultimately, Finck says she believes the social interaction involved in yoga is not lost through the screen.

“I don't think it's affected the group and, in fact, it's very nice [for] teachers.” Finck said. “We usually have casual interactions at work, walking by each other and maybe eating lunch with some people that [isn’t] in our department. For example, Ms. [Elizabeth] McCracken is in the yoga group as a science teacher and [myself] a French teacher. We don't collaborate professionally much, but it's really nice to see other teachers.”

Ancheta shares the sentiment of being relatively steadfast with the wildfires affecting outdoor activities, trying to make the best of the conditions.

“Throughout this entire thing, I've had to adapt to a lot because in the beginning … obviously, I knew workouts, but I didn't really have anything to build off of,” Ancheta said. “I've been really trying to change things up every single [day] because obviously it gets boring, but also you … want to find ways to improve on yourself ... and all that's basically something I'm always trying to improve.”