Oedipus Rexing wrote:
It really depends on what you think maturity is. I don't really think that maturity is defined by discipline and discipline is not really required to be successful (having a habit of running X miles a day does not make you disciplined - just makes you someone who is stuck in a routine)
To your friend's point I would say that running can keep you from growing up in that you are still chasing "the dream"- but even mature people can cling to far-fetched goals.
In my mind maturity is the ability to make decisions for yourself base on your needs and wants while being accepting of and responsible for those decisions and their outcomes. Running may or may not make someone more or less able to do that.
Makes sense, however I know that my time is limited in running, and I will never be a national champion, pro, etc. It is simply something that I enjoy which does not necessarily make me mature, but by no means does it make me immature.