Matt McCue fell in love with running in a rather unexpected manner. As a student in the Regina Catholic Education Center, he participated in dodge ball in an after-school program. During the pregame warm-ups, he discovered the thrill of running.

“There was just something about it,” he said. “We had to run laps around the recreation area, and that’s kind of where it all started.”

Kathy McCue, his mother, can firmly attest to his drive to be nothing but successful. From the time he was young, she said, he had it in his head to be the best, and he was always a motivated person.

“He had a motto, which was, ‘Don’t cut corners,’ ” she said. “If a run was supposed to last an hour, and it ended up taking 59 minutes and 45 seconds, he would want to run those last 15 seconds.”

Matt McCue, 26, recently penned the book An Honorable Run, from which he will read from as part of the “Live from Prairie Lights” series, at Prairie Lights Books, 15 S. Dubuque St., at 7 p.m. today.

An Honorable Run is a coming-of-age story and an homage to the two track coaches who left an indelible mark on McCue’s running career. His high-school coach, Bob Brown, was the first to impress him in his time on the track team at Regina High School.

“I was a pretty good freshman runner,” McCue said. “His plan involved more patience, while I wanted quick results. Ultimately, it was up to me to decide.”

As a young man, McCue had the kind of respect for Brown that allowed him to take his advice. For him, the coach’s job wasn’t only putting a good program together, he was also a mentor when it came to mentally preparing for practice or a meet.

College proved to be a great challenge for McCue, he said, recalling his first practice run at University of Colorado. The competitive nature of the sport, along with his aggressive approach, was essential to his success and survival in what was initially a trial by fire for him.

“I’m a decent runner, but while a run may have been easy for them [teammates], I was running my guts out to keep up,” he said.

Legendary coach Mark Wetmore guided McCue through his years as a runner at Colorado. Much like Brown, Wetmore focused on the mental toughness needed to be a good runner. Wetmore was ultimately impressed by McCue’s drive and serious attitude, which he possessed from the offset.

“There were some pretty talented people here with Matt,” the coach said. “That he survived those kinds of workout days — more emotionally than physically — earned him the respect of the team and staff.”

The idea of having mentors as a youth is a central concept of An Honorable Run, and McCue had two prime examples during his secondary and higher education. He credits Brown and Wetmore with helping him answer a question that tends to hang over everyone’s head: “What is really important?”

“Coach Brown always put people ahead of himself, treating every runner equally … and Wetmore is someone who will be out there for the team every day,” McCue said. “That’s the essence of a coach.”

In the years following his running career, he has grown more patient when it comes to attaining his goals, but without losing his edge.

“He still has a competitive spirit,” Kathy McCue said. “But he has more balance in his life — he knows that success doesn’t happen overnight.”