Thanks for the compliment, and I don't have the impression that the guys and gals here are anything but competitive (and often would consider themselves below elite status) and that many of us "elders" are coming from the generation of track runners that continued to run. Not so many posters here are of the "Runner's World" runners that populate races now to get their selfies and finisher's medals. I just love the feeling of running fast, far, and exhausting, at times, and other times "just to run", but my background is that I found that running killed my cravings for a cigarette at age 25 and I continued to run cause I loved how it made me feel. Others encouraged me to run a "fun run" and my competitive juices found my sport and not just my activity. After that I found out I could get faster by long runs and intervals and so worked my way to a 36:15 10 km and a 2:54 marathon in my 30's, now I am happy with a 1/2 marathon, which feels plenty long! :)
I am not one to do much to help my running like with cross-training, though I suspect that I will have to as I continue to slow down, since walking takes so much time. I do weights twice weekly to help maintain upper body muscle and have some core strength, and that is something that my wife got me going on, but now I like that feeling of having a bit of my chest and biceps having some muscle and not just skin and bone. Some day I will be doing more work that MikeF and Igy talk about to maintain my body for running, but right now, I'm more about just getting out the door regularly and "inspecting the neighborhood" at 6 mile/hour.
Anyhow, my arthroscopic meniscus surgery occurred after I had a sudden, initial tear, then stubbornly and stupidly raced on it a week later (I'd paid the fee, how could I not run!?) on a hilly 5 km. The tear was on the left medial meniscus, classic bucket-handle, and fortunately, on the thin, inner side, so it was trimmed and smoothed and I still have about 75% of the original, and there is some remaining from the front to the back of the knee. So there is zero contact of bone on bone, knock on wood. So that was after about 28 years of running, and was also about the time of my longest time off, with a bad case of plantar fasciitis, too.
I had regular PT for strengthening and balance, and only resumed ANY running only after all inner soreness was gone, and that was 6 weeks later. A rather long time, but I was not about to resume any too soon; once stupid, twice shy?
And, no, I have had no sign of arthritis since, though sometimes I feel like my body does get generally a bit achy before a storm, but maybe that is the Iowa farmer background I inherited from my wonderful parents.
Anyhow, don't be shy, we're all here to raise up each other as runners in this great lifetime sport, so please share.