{"id":575,"date":"2026-02-22T22:13:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T20:13:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/?p=575"},"modified":"2026-02-24T07:15:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T05:15:42","slug":"rosemary-resilience-and-running-a-farewell-to-36","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/22\/rosemary-resilience-and-running-a-farewell-to-36\/","title":{"rendered":"Rosemary, Resilience, and Running: A Farewell to 36"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

They say you should go into a new year of life feeling refreshed, but I decided to go into 37 smelling like a gourmet meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This past weekend, my husband and I headed to the stunning Rosemary Hill in Pretoria<\/strong> for a 15km trail run. We weren\u2019t alone, of course; our two German Shorthaired Pointers, Rose and Connor, were leading the charge. Usually, we\u2019re the “race against the clock” types, pushing for a top-three finish. But today? Today was about the memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Trail for the Senses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve never run through Rosemary Hill, picture this: endless stretches of bushes, flowers, lavender, and\u2014as the name suggests\u2014rosemary everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I brushed against so many rosemary bushes that I honestly started to feel like a Sunday roast<\/strong> ready to be popped into the oven alongside some infused potatoes. It\u2019s a miracle the dogs didn’t try to take a bite out of me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We kept a steady pace together, only interrupted by my occasional sprints or Connor\u2019s need to investigate a specific leaf that he was certain was about to fall 5km back. The highlights were the stream crossings\u2014a total win for the dogs, who got to cool their paws and take in the scenery at their own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Strength in the Family<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While we were out on the 15km loop, the rest of the family was busy making their own milestones:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • The Finish Line Crew:<\/strong> Our daughter, Kimberley, held down the fort with our senior Maltese Poodles. Sammie<\/strong> is turning 14 this May, and his daughter Bella<\/strong> will be 12 in March. They aren’t exactly marathon runners these days, so they were more than happy to enjoy the slow pace and cuddles at the finish.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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    • A True Warrior:<\/strong> My mother-in-law joined us and tackled the 5km walk. She is currently navigating a incredibly tough journey with brain cancer<\/strong>, yet her determination to stay active and her refusal to let anything get her down is nothing short of heroic. Seeing her out there was the most inspiring part of the entire day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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      Saying Goodbye to 36<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      With my 37th birthday just five days away, this was the perfect way to close the chapter on being 36. No pressure, no staring at the stopwatch\u2014just nature, family, and the smell of herbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Next time we return to these trails, we might run for time now that we know the twists and turns. But for this weekend? It was exactly what the soul needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      37, I\u2019m ready for you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      They say you should go into a new year of life feeling refreshed, but I decided to go into 37 smelling like a gourmet meal. This past weekend, my husband and I headed to the stunning Rosemary Hill in Pretoria for a 15km trail run. We weren\u2019t alone, of course; our two German Shorthaired Pointers, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":613,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7,26],"tags":[117],"class_list":["post-575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trail-running","category-trails","tag-rosemaryhill-trailrunningsa-gspcommunity-birthdayrun-strongertogether"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260222204445438.jpg?fit=1080%2C1920&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":62,"url":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/25\/trail-run-grootfontein-bike-park\/","url_meta":{"origin":575,"position":0},"title":"Trail Run @ Grootfontein Bike Park","author":"Rey De Bruyn-Walters","date":"25 January 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Today, I went for a 15km Trail Run at Grootfontein Bike Park with my dog, Connor, a German Shorthaired Pointer. 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I pushed as much as I could to break my own personal record of 26 min and 2 seconds for 5km. My legs just didn't want to move as fast as I wanted to. 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Sean and I, with Connor and Rose bounding beside us, set out for the 15km trail race with hearts full of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Trail"","block_context":{"text":"Trail","link":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/category\/trails\/trail-running\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/dji_export_photo_20260308125909687.png?fit=648%2C1152&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/dji_export_photo_20260308125909687.png?fit=648%2C1152&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/dji_export_photo_20260308125909687.png?fit=648%2C1152&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":240,"url":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/08\/dancing-with-heat-and-rivers-my-trail-marathon-story\/","url_meta":{"origin":575,"position":3},"title":"Dancing with Heat and Rivers: My Trail Half Marathon Story","author":"Rey De Bruyn-Walters","date":"8 February 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The sun was already fierce when Connor and I lined up at the start. At 29 degrees, the air shimmered, heavy with promise and challenge. My German Shorthaired Pointer wagged his tail, eyes bright, already scanning for the rivers he knew would be waiting.\u00a0 We set off at a steady\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Trail"","block_context":{"text":"Trail","link":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/category\/trails\/trail-running\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260208180309554.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260208180309554.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260208180309554.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260208180309554.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260208180309554.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":849,"url":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/23\/running-through-mist-and-mountains-magoebas-ultra-trail-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":575,"position":4},"title":"Running Through Mist and Mountains: Magoebas Ultra Trail 2026","author":"Rey De Bruyn-Walters","date":"23 March 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Start Line We ventured into the woods and mountains for the Magoebas Ultra Trail Race 2026, tackling the 30km distance\u2014a first for me. 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