(ET) I-5 foot pedal .vs. cruise control

[Charlie <medievalist gmail com>]

It was mentioned here a couple of weeks ago that the OEM cruise
control doesn't provide the top "field weakening" speeds, and that
seems to be true with my I-5.  It actually slows down when I put the
cruise on.

I'm guessing that the motor runs cooler and more efficiently when it's
got the armature field weakened, but I'm remarkably uneducated
concerning electric motor control (and I know you guys aren't) so
please tell me if I'm being stupid.

If I'm in D1 cruise it's a little fast for good mowing speed.  D1 on
the foot pedal is WAY too fast.  L with cruise is too slow for me, and
L with the foot pedal all the way down is just right (said
Goldilocks).

But my size eleven gunboats are kind of large for the I-5's foot
pedal, and the spring seems awfully stiff.  If I ride in
cruise-control, I won't get the most efficient battery use or the best
speed, but I have trouble maintaining constant pressure on the pedal
for an hour while I mow the open part of the field.

What do you guys think?  Has anybody else had difficulty with this, or
am I just dealing with an unusually stiff spring?

--Charlie