Yeah, running from a bear is just a good way to die tired, even if the bear had little interest in you before you ran, its that whole predator instinct.  In my case, I did get the bear spray out and have it ready to go once I saw her.  The rifle was slung, the terrain was kinda tight and the odds of seeing an elk there were low and I needed my hands to be able to maneuver around some rocks.  Had she decided to charge, it would have been a close run thing, instead, she just turned around, pooped on the trail and sauntered off.  Which made me very happy.