Thursday, Aug. 8, 2002 | 10:28 a.m.
Just as her name implies, Ernie Rambo is one tough lady.
Despite suffering severe dehydration, she recently completed the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon to raise money for Project SMILE.
"When you drag about a dozen people out to Death Valley to run a race, you don't quit," said Rambo, 45, a social studies teacher at Johnson Junior High.
She became ill at the 30-mile mark, forcing her to walk most of the course.
"I have to do it again," she vowed. "I did not run the race in a way in which I'm capable of running it.
"I have to go back and do it right."
Rambo learned about Project SMILE from a school nurse. Through private donations, she has raised approximately $1,500 for the organization which provides dental service for needy children.
"I'm realizing that this charity is important," Rambo said. "I've met students who have these beautiful smiles, but they've never seen a dentist which is frustrating.
"Let's say you go for a job interview. Your smile makes a big impression so while it's not right up there with say leukemia or Alzheimer's disease, I still think it's an important charity."
Since the Badwater Ultramarathon, Rambo has taken two weeks off to recover from heat rash on her feet and to rest her swollen legs.
Curiously, running always hasn't been a big part of Rambo's life. She started running after her 30th birthday, then joined the Las Vegas Track Club at the urging of a friend.
Like most novice runners, Rambo's first race was a 5k. Gradually, she built endurance to run a marathon, her first being the Long Beach (Calif.) Marathon in 1992.
"It was just within me to get out there and run," Rambo said. "I remember running my first mile as much as I remember the last one.
"I see myself as an athlete now. I think I've found more balance in my life because of running."
After completing eight marathons, Rambo turned to ultramarathons, described as any race longer than a marathon (26.2 miles).
"I had heard of these ultramarathons and thought it was interesting," she said. "The key was finding people who were running in these ultramarathons and learning more about them."
Rambo has run in the Marathon des Sables, a six-day stage race across the Sahara Desert; the Helen Klein 50-mile race in Sacramento, Calif.; and the Joe Kleinerman 12-hour race in New York City.
She plans to run a race in San Diego this winter and then get ready for the Camrades Marathon in South Africa next June.
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