PUBLISHED 11/02/2006

At an hour when lampposts carve shadows over empty streets, skunks stroll through urban parks, and most people are comfortably tucked in, Tom Goulet is out sweating, his muscles burning, the stillness of sleep a distant notion. Nearly every night of the week, around midnight, come rain, snow, or howling winds, the Boston venture capitalist laces up his shoes, tucks a cell phone in a fanny pack, and relaxes to the rhythm of his footfalls. "It's almost as peaceful as sleeping," says Goulet, 49. "It's really beautiful to be out there on your own. It's nice and strange to feel the stillness of the city."