Canberra United coach Heather Garriock ordered her players to train at 6.45am on Wednesday in a bid to beat the smoke haze hovering above the city.
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The players were greeted by cooler conditions and slightly less smoke at their final training session at home before flying to Perth for a clash against the Glory on Friday night.
Garriock said team officials made the decision to shift training to the morning after players struggled to breathe in heavy haze earlier this week.
"It's important from a personal wellbeing point of view to do the right thing by the players," Garriock said.
"It was very uncomfortable [earlier in the week]. The oxygen ... your lungs, even I had a run [earlier this week] and my lungs were sore."
The Canberra air quality was marked as hazardous at the Florey quality station at 9am on Wednesday as the city continues to be blanketed by smoke from surrounding bushfires.
Cricket ACT and AFL Canberra cancelled training sessions and social sport earlier this week and people have have pre-existing heart or lung conditions have been advised to avoid outdoor physical activity.
The Canberra Raiders and the ACT Brumbies have continued to train as they prepare for their seasons, while Cricket ACT will monitor the air quality before women's Twenty20 matches on Thursday.
The change of schedule added another twist to a hectic week for United, which will include a flight to Perth on Thursday and then a 10.15pm AEDT kick-off on Friday.
MORE CANBERRA SPORT
United beat Perth in the opening game of the season, but have struggled to find consistency in the first month of the W-League season.
Canberra's international recruits have added goal-scoring flair to the side, with Simone Charley and Elise Thorsnes leading from the front.
Norwegian veteran Thorsnes is the "guest player" in Canberra's squad, meaning she can only play seven games during the season.
This week will be her third match, although she is hopeful of extending her stay and trying to help lift Canberra back into the finals.
If she plays seven consecutive games, her final match will be against Melbourne City on January 9.
"I want to stay as long as possible," said Thorsnes, who has scored two goals in her first two games.
"I don't know if it's possible, but I want to stay. If [we can do it], I want to stay. I love to play soccer, it's much better to stay here and compete than be cold outside in Norway."
The heat and the smoke haze were no issue for Thorsnes, who has played and trained in -12 degrees in Europe.
The 31-year-old has now scored eight goals in her 11 W-League games after previously joining Canberra for the 2017-18 season. But the only way Canberra can keep her on a longer-term contract will be if there are injuries or another international departs.
"If she keeps scoring a goal a game I might consider it," Garriock joked.
"She's such a quality player. She came into our squad later but she's made an impact, she's prolific and hopefully she is again this weekend.
"Different things happen throughout the season. She just needs to keep scoring goals and we'll see how we go."
W-LEAGUE ROUND FIVE
Friday: Perth Glory v Canberra United at Perth, 10.45pm.