4.25.15: With another marathon in the books, it was time for me to take a little break from exercise. One of the bad things about doing a spring marathon is that I’m usually resting when azaleas are in bloom (I’m a bit obsessed with them!) so I was not able to go on one of my azalea-themed long runs. I knew this had to be remedied somehow, so when my husband was meeting some friends for a run around the U.S. National Arboretum, I decided to tag along and explore the azaleas as they began to bloom. Unlike azalea-peeping around neighborhoods, a visit to the National Arboretum allows visitors to see azaleas among trees and other vegetation in a less-landscaped state. While some bushes were not yet completely in bloom , there were plenty of colors to be seen throughout the azalea collection. A number of dogwoods were blooming as well, adding more color to the scene. Maybe next year I’ll come back for a run!