Personally, I'd avoid the hand by the mask - you want to be able to see as much as possible - try and get as much info as you can as you run; can you see the lanes of paint?
Lots of the earlier advice is excellent - make sure you walk the field, see what shots there are on your run. COnsider delaying in a bunker and dropping into snake later in the game. Talk to the rest of your team - if there's a spot on the field that's shooting you, can they put some paint on them to interfere?
Also, you dn't always have to run headlong into the snake - set up on the start gate as a runner (gun back, crouched to spring - and the opposition will KNOW your're going straight in. Set up to run and gun, and you might fool them into thinking you're not going snake and dropping the lane. You could also run and gun for a part of your run to put in someone.
Perhaps it's even better to not play the snake on some fields - if there is a good bunker to lock down the snake, you can lock the opposition off from playing it effectively and negate the need to have someone in there.
Most of all, don't be predictable - mix it up a little, have two or three alternative plans and change them about,, and the opposition (especially if playing reace2 format) won't be able to just lane the entrance to snake one every point.
As Laim said, once you're in - don't put your head straight up - for at least the first few seconds, the opposition will have called your position and have at least one gun focussed on you. You do see lots of people getting blasted a few seconds after making the snake. Sometimes, just keeping your head down and attracting fire is enough to allow the rest of the team to get some kills.