Resetting an iPad but the email address is way old....

If your device is Activation Locked, this help page will provide most of the information that you’ll need:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201365

If you have forgotten your AppleID or associated password, these can be recovered here:

https://iforgot.apple.com

To recover your credentials, you’ll need access to one of the following:

• Your primary email address mailbox that corresponds with your AppleID
• Any of the secondary/recovery email addresses that should be configured for your AppleID account
• Any of the trusted telephone numbers (fixed line or Cellular/Mobile) that are associated with your AppleID

Unless you AppleID account has not been fully/correctly configured, or has been seriously neglected, recovery of the AppleID and password should not be difficult.

More information about recovery of your AppleID:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201354

More information about recovery of your AppleID password:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201487

When you recover access to your credentials, you would be well advised to log-in to your AppleID account from a web browser - and verify/update any email addresses and trusted telephone numbers:

https://appleid.apple.com

The Apple ID continues to work regardless of what the associated email's status may be.

If you no longer remember the password for the Apple ID, which may or may not be the same as the associated email address, you'll need to recover it.

See here: If you forgot your Apple ID password - Apple Support

Otherwise, you'll need to contact Apple Support an see if they can help you recover access to the account: Get Support - Apple.com