I did 2 centuries and many 80 mile plus rides last year on a peice of **** bike with no ergon grips or bar ends. Yes i am way more comfortable this year with bar ends and Ergon grips, but using that as a reason not to do miles is just an excuse.
Yes it is a very bad design choice by Trek, But its been all over these forums and on Trek's FAQ that you cant add bar ends, yes it sucks but i knew that full well when i bought my 7.5fx and replaced the handlebars.