If your disk has a recovery partition as already mentioned in this thread, it is important to understand that function and also have a backup strategy in case your hard disk ever fails. I am using a desktop computer that came with a Windows 7 Install DVD so I have no experience with recovery partitions.
You should be able to view all your disk partitions using Windows tools. Go to Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Computer Management, and finally Disk Management. A window will come up showing all disks and partitions.
If you do have a recovery partition perhaps that explains why the system image is larger than one might expect. There may be options that specify what partitions are included in the system image. Windows 7 installations generally have a small system reserved boot partition and a larger Windows partition as the minimum configuration.