The Fast Drag

I know that it's been awhile since I've updated, but that's because I've been really busy being lazy, going out of town, and keeping up 14-15 hour workout weeks.
I've managed to reach the same point in Ironman training and in summer vacation at the same time. It is what I call the fast drag (a fabulous oxymoron, much like being lazy while working out all the time). The fast drag is something that happens when individual days (or workouts) may seem to drag, but at the same time you seem to be hurdling head-first towards something rather unpleasant for which you don't quite feel prepared (the Ironman race [God help me] and the beginning of the school year [I'm pretty sure even God isn't interested in intervening in that one]).
I'm at the point in training where instead of thinking that there are endless long rides left and ruing that fact, I am counting them up with fear ("only how many chances to ride the Madison course left?" or "Only how many days in which I can learn how to swim?"). While recently doing a hugely mentally painful 80 miles (2.5 miles...over and over and over and over... [or 32 times past the roadkill chipmunk] nursing poison ivy and about 85 discreet bug bites), I spent half of the time counting down the time remaining (only 10 more times I have to look at that chipmunk) and the other half panicking that the completion of this workout meant that I was one long ride closer to the race (of which, I hate to say it, I am terrified). Thus, the fast drag.
Never mind that I am racing for the first time this season this weekend (only about 107 hours left- eek!).