There’s nothing like a nice, long run to start your day. As you breathe in the crisp morning air and the beautiful sunrise, listen to the birds chirping, and feel your muscles warming up and preparing to have an active and productive day, you feel fully alive. The last thing that should be on a runner’s mind when they’re getting their morning workout in should be concerns for their safety, but unfortunately, as one woman recently learned, you can never be too careful.

While documenting an 8 mile run to share on TikTok earlier this month, 24-year-old Samantha MacIntyre ended up capturing a frightening experience that involved cutting her run short and calling the police. Below, you will find Samantha’s full video where she takes viewers along for the run, as well as some of the comments people have left on the video. 

Thankfully, Samantha made it home safely, but we can never hear too many reminders to stay cautious and aware of our surroundings. Let us know in the comments if you have ever had a harrowing experience like this, and then if you’re interested in another Bored Panda article highlighting why women sometimes feel unsafe walking alone, check out this story next. 

While documenting a morning run to share online, Samantha MacIntyre ended up capturing a PSA reminding viewers to be aware of their surroundings

Image credits: sageandmaize

Image credits: sageandmaize

Image credits: sageandmaize

After suspecting that she was being followed, Samantha decided to play it safe and end her run

Image credits: sageandmaize

Image credits: sageandmaize

Image credits: sageandmaize

Image credits: sageandmaize

You can see the full video right here

@sageandmaize

PSA trust your gut :)

♬ original sound – samantha mac

As Samantha notes in her video, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. And unfortunately, even on a bright morning, we can never let our guards down. There is no way of knowing for sure what the intentions of the driver of the Pontiac were, but Samantha’s instincts told her that something was off. And we should always listen to our guts, even if just to be safe.

While you might assume that our instincts or “gut feelings” are all in our heads, research shows that they actually might be more tangible than we think. One theory suggests that we can actually “feel” impending events due to our dopamine neurons. “The jitters of dopamine help keep track of reality, alerting us to those subtle patterns that we can’t consciously detect,” writes Jonah Lehrer in his book How We Decide. 

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He explains that the smallest irregularities in our environment, such as the speed at which a car approaches us or someone exhibiting slightly bizarre social behavior, can trigger our brains to exert dopamine and give us that strange “something is off” feeling. As inexplicable as the feeling may be, it means something, so it’s best not to ignore it.

Especially when it comes to suspecting that we may be in danger, we should always err on the side of caution. It could be our brains displaying paranoia or anxiety, or something very bad could happen to us if we stay in the same environment. “If you don’t trust somebody, even if it turns out to be inaccurate, it is something to pay attention to,” says Judith Orloff, PhD, a Los Angeles based psychiatrist. “If you’re walking down the street at night and you get the feeling ‘stay away from that person,’ just cross the street.”

While Samantha may have made it home safely regardless of whether she had stopped running or not, she had valid reasons for being concerned. Women are often the targets of random kidnapping and assaults. Just look at the tragic story of Eliza Fletcher, who just earlier this month was abducted and murdered while out for her morning jog in Mephis, Tennessee. This is not something any person should have to worry about, but unfortunately, it does happen. 

Let us know your thoughts on this video down below, and if you have any more safety tips for being out alone, feel free to share them with your fellow pandas. I’m so glad Samantha made it home safely, and I hope her video inspires others to be even more cautious when they are out as well. Stay safe out there, and remember, always trust your gut. 

Viewers are applauding Samantha for being so alert and assuring her that you can never be too careful

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Bored Panda has reached out to Samantha for a comment, and we will update the story as soon as we hear back. 

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