Coty Schock has spent enough nights staring at hotel ceilings to know that being fast is only half of the battle when it comes to racing. You also have to be mentally prepared - and that starts with getting a good night’s sleep.

Schock has enjoyed an excellent start to the 2025 World Supercross Championship and currently sits in second place in the SX2 standings.

It comes after the 28-year-old got married to his wife, Emery, ahead of the opening round in Buenos Aires, who was also in Canada to watch him push Max Anstie for the win in BC Place.

People always assumed the grind with competitive supercross is all about pushing harder, riding longer, training more; that victory is something a rider chased with endless effort.

But Schock has learned a very different truth, and one that prioritises rest over days spent on a bike and listening to the data captured on his health-monitoring Oura Ring.

“Your day really starts out with how you sleep,” he says. “For me, my sleep is everything, and I wear an Oura ring to track my recovery. I’ll be honest, there have been days where I won’t ride because my recovery score is low or my sleep score was low.

“You’ve got to take care of yourself first before you can perform. So, sleep and constantly getting the electrolytes and the magnesium and potassium and sodium, all that salt. Getting that into the body day in and day out. Honestly, for us to be at this level, you almost have to be selfish. Like, ‘no, I’m not going to go out to dinner with you guys or go out to this party. I need to stay in and do nothing. You make sacrifices. You have to sacrifice your success in the moment because all that stuff will be there for you later on in life. But right now, this is what’s important.”

The importance of listing to your body

Schock, like any professional athlete, uses a trainer who is responsible for advising the Rick Ware Racing rider on his diet.

“Could I be better with my diet? Yes, but I try to live in moderation,” he says. “Everyone has their opinions on health, right? And I’m not going to be that guy that dives into a rabbit hole and is constantly chasing. If I feel good, I feel good. And if I feel bad, let me figure out why I feel bad. But I’ve gotten sick in the past. I’ve had low energy and I figured out why. And I’ve been good ever since. You’ve got to really just bring it back to the basics and the question is, are you sleeping? Yes or no? And then, are you hydrated? Yes or no?

“Depending on those answers, you can go and perform. But working harder is not always the answer. You have to listen to your body because if your mind is there, but your body can’t catch up, then you’re just not going to do anything good.”

Learning at Club MX

Schock says his approach all stems from the instructions set out by Brandon Haas, President and Head Coach of famed training academy Club MX.

“Brandon has pretty much forced us to be off the bike,” he says. “I can go ride my two-stroke, my 125 or 250 for fun, but actually training and being under that regimen day in and day out, he’ll tell you, ‘no, you’re not riding. You’re not allowed’.

“That is good though, because it brings that spark. I miss riding my dirt bike. I miss doing my job. I miss waking up with a purpose.

“So yeah, sometimes you just gotta not ride and bring that spark back and then you’ll get further in life.”

Schock’s philosophy is refreshing and shows the side of a rider who appreciates that less is more when it comes to goals and achievements.

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Story Ben Hunt