Today I ran indoors. I normally love to run outdoors even in cooler temps but not if the wind is blowing. So today it was back to the gym for me. As per usual, I avoided the dreadmill and preferred to run in place with some very light weights.
If you live in Virginia you know that we get hit with crazy weather patterns, and sometimes the wind can get extreme. But what I dislike the most about windy days is how cold it gets outdoors. The older I get, the more sensitive I seem to be to cold temps. You just have to accept it. C'est la vie, or "That's life," as the French say. I don't know about you, but I plan on running till I die, jogging through the halls of my nursing home between strained peas for lunch and the evening Bingo game. Seriously, I hope to run until my body wears out on me completely (hopefully it's not this year). The thing about aging is that you have to scale back a bit and maybe think of doing fewer big races (like marathons) each year. I think I also need to cut back on my total annual miles. The 1,000 or so I put on my body last year is probably too much considering the amount of weight training I've been doing.
I've also found that stretching (something I HAD NOT been doing regularly) becomes even more important as you age, especially if you've been having issues with tendonitis in your heel, as I have. For me, this means stretching every time I go to the gym and always after a hard day of running.
Do not be jealous of my paunch. You will have one someday too, I promise you. I will say, though, that there are tons of helpful resources out there with great advice for how to stretch and strength train and avoid injuries, etc.
I've been blessed not to have had any major injuries since I started running 7 years ago. My philosophy has been that despite the niggles that come with regular exercise, running is a precious gift from the Lord and one that has some decent health benefits. As with anything if life, you have to be willing to take risks. How in the world are we supposed to live life to the fullest if we worry about every little thing that could happen to us? Life isn't perfect. Get used to it. C'est la vie. (I do, however, think it's necessary to be responsible.) Don't be an idiot, and be sure to listen to your (aging) body. We all move through the stages of life at different speeds. The only thing you can count on is that things are temporary. Be willing to adapt and pivot as you go along.
The most important thing to do is to listen to your body. In most cases, it will let you know what it needs, and when it needs it. Right now my body is telling me to take a nap, and I will obey it even though my brain is going a million miles an hour.
P. S. For more info on how aging affects your running, read this very informative article in Runner's World.